The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting refugees in the lead-up to World Refugee Sabbath (June 15) and World Refugee Day (June 20).
Currently, there are 117 million refugees, 61.2 million internally displaced people and 5.6 million asylum seekers globally, according to the United Nations. Seventy-two per cent of refugees come from Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Many of them are children.
ADRA has been working to aid refugees and internally displaced families for more than four decades.
“Every action we take has a lasting effect on refugees and displaced people who are struggling to survive in many instances without food, housing and opportunities to succeed,” said ADRA International president Michael Kruger.
“We can’t ignore their anguish or lack of access to basic needs. World Refugee Day serves as a poignant reminder for us to unite in ending their hardships and improving learning opportunities, particularly for young people.”
Mr Kruger said ADRA remains committed to improving the lives of refugees and displaced children, families and individuals worldwide. “Let us honour World Refugee Day and World Refugee Sabbath in our Adventist communities with a dedication to justice, compassion and love to create a brighter future for everyone, regardless of their origin or circumstances.”
ADRA has developed various resources, including children’s stories, conversation guides, and even recipes, to enhance understanding of refugees and motivate faith-based groups, communities and other organisations to tackle the global refugee crisis. The organisation also manages education initiatives for refugee children in numerous countries.
For information and resources for World Refugee Sabbath click here.
