You won’t find the word “refugee” in the Bible, but there are principles in God’s Word for how his people are to treat those who are called “strangers,” “foreigners,” and “sojourners” in our translations. In Matthew 25, Jesus says that how we treat “strangers” indicates whether or not we are his followers. Disciples’ behavior should include hospitality to strangers. And the New Testament epistles use the term “strangers” as a metaphor for our status before we professed faith in Jesus Christ.
News & Stories
Refugees
From the Field
Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
The Syrian refugee crisis is now the largest refugee and displacement crisis of our time. Because of the Syrian civil war, 5.6 million people have fled Syria as refugees, putting a strain on the region’s ability to cope. And another 6.1 million people are displaced within Syria.
From the Field
World Humanitarian Day: An aid worker’s diary from a refugee camp
World Humanitarian Day is held every year on Aug. 19 to celebrate aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. Learn about a World Vision worker’s experience in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
From the Field
Life frames: Overcoming obstacles
Sometimes trying to show people’s resilience in a photo requires a little bit of grit and a whole lot of luck for the photographer. Learn the story behind this photograph by World Vision photographer Laura Reinhardt.
From the Field
Iraq conflict: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Why are millions of people displaced in Iraq? Conflict has created an extreme humanitarian crisis. Learn what World Vision is doing to help the children and families affected.
From the Field
Myanmar refugees in Bangladesh: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Since Aug. 25, 2017, about 700,000 people from Myanmar have fled to Bangladesh because of extreme violence in northern Rakhine state. Most of the Myanmar refugees identify as Rohingya, a Muslim minority ethnic group in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Learn more about the Myanmar refugee crisis in Bangladesh.
From the Field
Lopez Lomong runs for refugees and clean water
Two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong, a South Sudanese “Lost Boy,” was kidnapped and imprisoned, spent 10 years in a refugee camp, and was eventually adopted by a U.S. family. Today, he continues to run and to raise funds and advocate for clean water and South Sudanese refugees.
From the Field
Forced to flee: Top countries refugees are coming from
More than two-thirds of the world’s 25.4 million refugees come from just five countries. Overall, more than 68.5 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced. Why did they flee, where are they going, and what can be done to address the plight of refugees, especially children?
Change Makers
Refugee portrait project paints Syrian children to provide aid to crisis
A group of 23 artists in Illinois has found a way to help refugees through their art — they paint portraits of Syrian children and give the proceeds to charity. They call it “Painting Syria’s Children: The Refugee Portrait Project.”
Voices
Podcast with pastor and humanitarian Eugene Cho
On this edition of the World Vision podcast, pastor and humanitarian Eugene Cho speaks to us about his recent book, Overrated, and his trip to Lebanon and Iraq to visit Syrian refugee tented settlements near the Syria border.