Last update: October 2023
On 7 October 2023, a series of earthquakes shook western Afghanistan, with the largest at 6.3 magnitude. Many houses have collapsed and some remote villages have even been wholly destroyed. As of now, around 2,500 people, most of them reportedly women and children, have died. The hospitals in Herat are overwhelmed, and it is feared that the number of casualties will continue to rise.
Please pray for vulnerable children and families suffering from the earthquake in Afghanistan:
Last update: February 2023
On 6 February 2023, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. So far over 4,000 people have lost their lives and tens of thousands more are injured. Turkey is the largest host country of Syrian refugees in the world, and millions of them live near the epicenter of this earthquake. Having been forced to leave their homes due to a war that has been going on since 2011, these people are now facing yet even more misery and pain, finding themselves at the centre of the world’s attention again for all the wrong reasons.
Please pray for vulnerable children and families suffering from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria:
Last update: June 2022
Due to a mix of the impact of conflict, climate change and an economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a food crisis is spanning across the globe. The war in Ukraine is also bringing profound impacts on world food supply, leaving more people on the brink of famine. More children are made prone to malnutrition, and may even be forced to work as child labour or married off in exchange for dowry. Such children will be permanently impacted physically, mentally and spiritually.
Please pray for the vulnerable children and families who are starving worldwide:
Learn more about the Global Hunger Relief
Last update: March 2022
The situation in Ukraine is increasingly intensifying due to the recent armed conflict, which does not only cause immediate threats to more than 7.5 million children living in Ukraine, but also lead to hundreds of thousands fleeing from Ukraine to neighbouring countries. It is feared that as many as 5 million people could flee the country, causing immediate and long-lasting physical, emotional, and mental harms to children, families, and communities. Meanwhile, the crisis may lead to increased food and fuel prices, which will aggravate the existing food and economic crises and impact other countries, leaving more vulnerable lives at risk.
Please pray for vulnerable children and
families suffering from the conflict in Ukraine:
Last update: April 2021
It has been ten years since Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011. Half of the country’s population is displaced, nearly 600,000 have been killed, including 55,000 children. 4.8 million Syrian children have been born straight into the thick of conflict, losing access to education, healthcare and livelihoods, as well as suffering psychosocial effects and even becoming victims of child marriage. While children have lost their dignity, identity and the hope for future, the cruel war that has brought about so many tragedies is yet to end.
Please remember Syria’s children and families in your prayers.
Learn more about the Syrian Refugee Response
Last update: April 2021
Since the conflict broke out in Rakhine
State, Myanmar in August 2017, over 860,000 Rohingyas - more
than half of whom are children - are stuck in the world’s largest and most
densely populated refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. They are stateless
and unprotected by international refugee law, enduring poverty, human
trafficking, malnutrition and natural disasters. Due the COVID-19 pandemic, they
now have even less protection as humanitarian activity in the camp has become
limited. Worse still, a massive fire broke out in the camp in March 2021, which
saw several hundred people killed, injured or gone missing, with tens of
thousands of survivors once again losing their shelters and all their belongings. Many Rohingya
refugees have tried different ways to enter neighbouring countries and seek
asylum, but were either rejected or repatriated to Myanmar, leaving their lives
at risk.
Please pray for the Rohingya refugees:
Learn more about the Myanmar-Bangladesh Refugee Crisis Response
Last update: March 2022
With the fifth wave of COVID-19 hitting the city, grass-roots families have been increasingly affected. As both the demand for anti-epidemic items and the prices of food and basic necessities increase due to shortage of supply, these families, who are already facing economic hardships, are being forced to bear additional burdens. During these difficult days, they desperately need the care and support from churches, and perhaps more importantly, love and hope from God.
Please pray for grass-roots children and families affected by the epidemic:
Learn more about “Share and Care” Scheme
Last update: November 2021
At present, more than half of Afghanistan’s population (over 18 million people) is in need of humanitarian assistance. As a result of a severe drought and food crisis, 2.7 million people are facing starvation, while approximately 1 million children under 5 are acutely malnourished. In winter, snows may hamper the efforts to provide food aid. Furthermore, the country is potentially facing a new wave of COVID-19, which will put immense pressure on a health system that is already on the brink of collapse.
Please remember people who are in desperate need of food aid and healthcare in Afghanistan:
Last update: November 2017
Over 1 billion children experience violence every year globally. Violence threatens their survival and health, robs them of their right to education, and causes short and long-term physical, emotional and social consequences. It is important to address these issues and offer counselling and assistance to the victims, so that they feel safe and have their immediate needs met.
Learn more about It takes a world to end violence against children
Last update: November 2017
Many of the issues of violence, such as child labour, child marriage, child sacrifice, are prohibited by laws which, however, are not always enforced. Each one of us is called to speak out for orphans and the poor.
Learn more about It takes a world to end violence against children
Last update: December 2019
We thank God for the peace and grace we have enjoyed in 2019. We are truly blessed to have been able to not only live a life of peace and abundance but also help others in need.
Learn more about World Vision of Macau Association