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March - April 2012
| Issue 17
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IAFR Report
International Association for Refugees |
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| Greetings! |
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IAFR President
Tom Albinson
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In Malawi, the meager food ration that sustains the people in Dzaleka refugee camp will be halved through the end of the year. IAFR set up a way to help stand in the gap.
In Malta, we met with local church leaders and toured a space that looks likely to become the site of our first Asulon Centre.
In France, we're looking for people to join the Jungle Bike Tour this summer.
Read on to learn more! Thank you for your prayers and donations that make the ministry of IAFR possible!
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DID YOU KNOW?
|  "The number of asylum claims received across all industrialized countries is still smaller than the population of Dadaab, a single refugee camp in north-east Kenya." Source: UNHCR |
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SPECIAL APPEAL: FOOD FOR DZALEKA
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 | Above: Refugee children in Dzaleka
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The meager food ration for the 16,000+ people in Dzaleka refugee camp has been cut by 50% through the end of the year.
Due to the growing number of refugees in the region and the global financial crisis, World Food Program (WFP) food stock has nearly been depleted, forcing the reduction.
The crisis has left the refugees fearful and desperate.
"When such a crisis hits, prostitution increases, child labor substitutes going to school, and the medically fragile (HIV positive, handicapped, elderly, nursing mothers) are at risk of rapid deterioration." -former refugee in Dzaleka refugee camp
IAFR is working with our partner There Is Hope in Malawi to help the refugees of Dzaleka get through the year. Donations designated for "Food for Refugees" will be transferred to There Is Hope and turned into life-giving maize. The maize will then be added to the WFP food distribution in the camp.
A donation of US$ 10 is enough to provide a full ration for one person for an entire month.
God used IAFR donors to provide $2,450 toward the need for food in Dzaleka in March. Please continue to pray that God will give them their daily bread.
You can help by sending a check made out to "IAFR" and designating it for "Food for Refugees". You can also donate online (www.iafr.org).
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REMEMBERING THE 1500 (Malta)
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 | Above: The Costa Concordia leaving the harbor
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1,500 refugees lost their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe in 2011.
A church in Malta, with whom IAFR is developing a ministry partnership, recently helped sponsor a memorial service for those lost at sea. The service was held in the harbor of Valetta, the capital city of Malta.
Eritrean refugees spontaneously broke into a prayerful song. Everyone dropped a red carnation into the water in memory of those who fled their homelands seeking safety and lost their lives at sea. Their lives are precious to God.
The service included a strange coincidence. As prayers were lifted up for these forgotten refugees, the ill-fated Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, set out from the harbor on its final voyage (photo). The shipwreck in Italy and the tragic loss of 25 lives would be headline news for weeks.
Please pray with us as we seek 3 full-time workers to develop IAFR ministry in Malta. The work will include the establishment of an Asulon Center where refugees that survive the sea crossing receive a warm welcome, practical assistance and pastoral support. Click here to learn more.
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JUNGLE BIKE TOUR 2012 (France/Belgium)
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 | | A refugee learns to ride a bike during the 2011 Tour |
"Here, in this place, I am nothing-less than zero. I have no status." -a refugee in France
A refugee told how he went on a hunger strike to avoid deportation. He said, "We chose to go to a church for our strike, because this made the most sense." Another refugee said that he has a diploma
from a university in Istanbul, but that he has been a refugee for the past 12 years.
These are a few of the desperate voices of refugees passing through France in search of safety and a peaceful life in Europe.
IAFR's Regional Leader in Europe will ride in the Jungle Bike Tour again this summer. The tour visits refugee squatter-like settlements in Northern France and Belgium. Refugees call these places "jungles". We are looking for a few people to join him on the 2012 Tour.
"The ride gives us a close up view of what life is like for refugees in this part of Europe. Every couple of days we will ride to different locations along the highways and fields of France and Belgium. Through rain and sunshine, we experience the elements and grow tired - much like the refugees who travel the same routes. The diverse group of riders becomes a close-knit group. And even though we meet dozens of refugees, their individual stories always stand out.
The Jungle Tour gives us a chance to hear their stories firsthand. It brings the human side back into focus. It also connects us with others trying to help. As we ride from place to place, we lift up in prayer those we meet along the way." -Paul Sydnor, IAFR Regional Leader
Interested in joining the 2012 Jungle Tour? See www.iafr.org for details.
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REFUGEES IN THE BIBLE
| Have you ever stopped to consider how many people in the Bible experienced forced migration?
IAFR has given it's well-known discussion guide "Refugees in the Bible" a fresh update. It's a great starting point for individuals and groups to explore a biblical perspective related to forced displacement and human migration.
Download yours today from www.iafr.org. This and other IAFR Discussion Handouts are located under the "Ministry Resources" menu.
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| PERSPECTIVE |  Joseph's brothers left the Promised Land for Egypt, telling the Pharaoh, "We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan..." Genesis 47:4 More than once, Ancient Egypt played the crucial role of a country of refuge. Without knowing it, Egyptian hospitality toward forcibly displaced people proved to be a blessing to the people of God. |
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We're grateful for every word of encouragement and every prayer.
Thank you for your generosity that makes this ministry possible!
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