Christmas 2021 – ACN Global

Thousands of Christians in Africa and the Middle East, persecuted and displaced because of their faith, depend on the Church’s social and pastoral work – and the Church depends on you to continue helping them. Make a donation and bring the hope of Christmas to refugees!

82,4 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE FORCIBLY DISPLACED

Each number is a life, a story of loss, trauma, and suffering

As we entered 2021, the number of forcibly displaced people due to persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations was the highest on record (according to UNHCR data).

Africa saw the highest increase of internally displaced, and Syria remains the country from which the greatest number of people has been forced to flee.

THIS CHRISTMAS WE CAN GIVE HOPE TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Through the local Church, ACN is supporting displaced families, attending to their basic needs, providing shelter, and seeing to the education of the children and youth. However, they also hunger for the healing power of the sacraments, for God’s Word and His love brought to them by those entrusted to continue His work among us. The presence and tireless efforts of the sisters, the priests, the catechists and all those working to build His Kingdom is a true source of consolation and hope. As they attend to their needs, they fill the hearts of the tired, traumatised, bereaved and the hungry with renewed faith – as well as the hope of a better future.

SYRIA

In a country still suffering from international sanctions and the destruction of 10 years of war, the elderly, the sick and the handicapped are left behind alone.

LEBANON

“As a child I became a refugee, just like the Child Jesus, who also had to flee together with his dad and his mum”.

BURKINA FASO

“It was during Sunday Mass. The jihadists entered the church with guns, surrounding us. They killed the priest and five parishioners right in front of our eyes.”

MOZAMBIQUE

Since 2017 Mozambique’s province of Cabo Delgado has been plagued by islamic extremism. More than 3,300 people have been killed and nearly a million displaced.

NIGERIA

The priests bring hope to more than 30,000 displaced people in Puka who had to flee their homes because of Boko Haram.

CONGO

In spite of the miserable conditions of the displaced camps in Goma, Christians want to celebrate Christmas with joy

“It was from here, from Syria, Palestine, Jordan and what is today Israel, that the first Christians came”, explains Fr. Hugo Alaniz, an Argentinian missionary priest of the Institute of the Word Incarnate who has been living in the Middle East for 26 years.

“I believe that it is an obligation for us, as a Church, to help the Christians of the Middle East. Not only because of the fact that this is the Holy Land, but because it is thanks to them that we came to know the Gospel message… Our appeal to the benefactors of ACN is ‘please don’t forget us, please don’t forget our communities here who still need outside help’… Whatever you can continue contributing will have great significance, especially for these people, who have lost everything, who continue to be in great need, who need your help”.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECTS FOR THIS CHRISTMAS

Be supportive and bring the joy and hope of Christmas to our refugee brothers and sisters!

The different projects to help refugees which ACN supports in Africa and the Middle East aim to provide material and spiritual wellbeing to our Christian brothers and sisters – especially in this time of the year that we celebrate the coming of Christ. From food packages and medicines to scholarships and even small Christmas gifts for the children, we want to bring the hope of Christmas and joy to their hearts.

Providing safe drinking water to thousands of refugees. This project aims to build a borehole that will run on solar panels. It will be located in the town of Pulka, accessible from all camps, and therefore accessible to everybody.

Bringing words of hope and comfort to the refugees. Support for the production of faith programs for the benefit of displaced persons in the Diocese of Ouahigouya.

Catching up after having fled – 160 Iraqi pupils back to school. Education program for 160 Iraqi refugee children studying at Marka parish school.

Hot meals and spiritual accompaniment for refugees. «Saint John the Merciful Table» provides 1,500 daily hot meals to 900 Syrian refugees and 600 Lebanese in need in the Zahlé area and Bekaa Valley.

Emergency help for refugees from Cabo Delgado. Provide 500 families with basic needs such as food, mosquito nets, soap, household items, farming tools and seeds.

Meals on wheels for those left behind. Equipment and implementation of the «Meals on Wheels” project to feed the elderly of the Latin Vicariate in Aleppo.

Your help is essential to keep the faith of our refugee brothers and sisters alive. Contribute to one of our projects and improve the lives of thousands of Christians relying on the support of the Church.

«In the faces of the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, strangers and prisoners, we are called to see the face of Christ who pleads with us to help (cf. Mt 25:31-46). If we can recognize him in those faces, we will be the ones to thank him for having been able to meet, love and serve him in them». Pope Francis, Message for the 106° World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Founded in 1947 as a Catholic aid organisation for war refugees and recognised as a Pontifical Foundation since 2011, Aid to the Church in Need is dedicated to the service of Christians around the world, through information, prayer and action, wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or suffering material need.