Situation:

Since the beginning of November, refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have been stuck at the Belarus-Poland border. To retaliate against European Union sanctions, Belarus is granting refugees seven-day visas, then forcing the refugees into other countries, such as Poland. Polish soldiers aren’t letting the migrants into the country, leaving them in limbo at the border. They are experiencing a lack of food, medical supplies and shelter and are facing winter weather with no place to go.

Response:

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belarus is providing assistance to refugees by distributing warm clothes, food and other essential items. There are also volunteers who speak Arabic and other languages to help communicate with the refugees. Further support from Lutheran Disaster Response will allow the church to provide mattresses, bedding, clothes, food and hygiene items to over 1,000 migrants.

Be a part of the response:

Pray
Please pray for people who have been affected by the refugee crisis in Belarus. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give
Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response (Middle East and Europe Refugee Crisis) will be used to assist refugees seeking safer lives.

Connect
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.

• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.

• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter, and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.

• Download the situation report and share as a PDF.