#rohingya whatshappeninginmyanmar

[partnersrelief]

Love on all fronts.

Photo: Damage from Cyclone Mocha near Sittwe, Myanmar.

Last week was heavy for our friends in Myanmar.

1.

Five

days without any food. That was the reality for some communities left devastated by Cyclone Mocha. Against all odds, it’s you, our incredible community, that was first on the scene in some villages to help fill the gap and keep over 7,420 tummies full until large-scale help arrives.

Photo: Rice being distributed to families impacted by Cyclone Mocha.

2.

Grateful

are the families you supplied tarps to, giving them some relief from the rain after losing their homes to the storm.

Photos: Tarps being distributed to families who's homes were destroyed.

3.

Airstrikes

are continuing in Myanmar, but so too is the practical support you keep bringing to communities forced to flee. We can’t overstate the lengths it takes to reach families hiding in the jungle, or the relief it brings to parents who haven’t received any other support to help feed their kids.

4.

Happiness

in every kid’s heart. It’s what we long for. It’s also how our local partner Inhalation of Hope described these photos from the trauma care center helping kids who’ve been affected by the conflict in Sinjar.

“Education, entertainment, guidance, sports, friendship, psychosocial support, and many other activities inside a center of one family. Here in this center, you will find a family consisting of 45 kids returning back to life together." ~ Inhalation of Hope

Photos: kids affected by conflict experiencing the joy of play.

5.

Share

this email with others. You are an integral part of this good news. When you tell your friends about your love in action, it builds trust for our work and multiplies hope for conflict-affected children and their families.

Share Now

You’re a light on a hill in a field of darkness. Keep shining.

Your friends at Partners.

[not-your-asian-fantasy]

Ingjin San at NY Fashion Week 2022

Source

[gohna]

Diarrhoea kills at least 4 Rohingya on remote Bangladesh island #AlwaysReadyToLove_SVT #Ready_to_love https://asyarfs.org/2021/06/18/diarrhoea-kills-at-least-4-rohingya-on-remote-bangladesh-island-alwaysreadytolove_svt-ready_to_love/ #verzuz #tzuyu_melody_project #time_for_tzuyu #taeyong_swimmingpool #straykids #recognizenug #lisaforvoguehk #kcontact4u_straykids #kcon2021_straykids #june27coup #hotterindomy #historyofmaghar #btsarmy #betawards #appointteacherson1stjulyinmp #beast #valimai #wewantoldpension #sarkaruvaaripaata #renjun #reigningssmbbdayin50days #jaemin #freebritney #nctdream #euro2020 #bambam #hellofuture #mtvlafandomblinks #got7 #mustersowoozoo #ready_to_love #genshinimpact #nctdream_hellofuture #ribbon #blackpink #premiosmtvmiaw #june12thprotest #seventeen #세븐틴 #your_choice #bts8thanniversary #mtvlakpopbts #mtvlafandomarmy #exo_dftfoutnow #keepiton #toexoplanetandbeyond #secawards #cancelassamboardexams #mtvlakpoptwice #8yearstoinfinitywithbts #exo_teaserquest #artistafemininainternacional #exoverse_unlocked #exo #weareoneexo #dont_fight_the_feeling #bts #방탄소년단 #2021btsfesta #bts_butter #whatshappeninginmyanmar #nct127_save #fridaylivestream #nct127 #hot100 #happyhaechanday #twice #bitcoin #해찬이보다_시즈니가_더_행복한_날 #jfcjustinbieber #pride #allrounderhaechanday #यूपी_बेरोजगार_दिवस #jungkook #0x1lovesong #bsc #100asianheartthrobs2021 #트와이스 #enhypen #master #mark #haechan #mtvlakpoprose #airdrop #jeno

[expatimes]

Hundreds of thousands swell Myanmar protests against coup | Human Rights News

Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar clashed with police as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the military government’s call to halt mass gatherings.

The United Nations human rights office said more than 350 people, including officials, activists and monks, have been arrested in Myanmar since the February 1 military coup that removed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, including some who face criminal charges on “dubious grounds”.

The UN rights investigator for Myanmar told a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that there were “growing reports, photographic evidence” that security forces have used live ammunition against protesters, in violation of international law.

The mass protests on Friday were mostly peaceful but were the biggest so far, and came a day after Washington slapped sanctions on generals who led the takeover.

More than 100,000 people joined various protests in Yangon that remained peaceful.

But three people were wounded when police fired rubber bullets to break up a crowd of tens of thousands in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine, a Myanmar Red Cross official told Reuters news agency.

Footage broadcast by Radio Free Asia showed police charging at protesters, grabbing one and smashing him in the head. Stones were then thrown at police before the shots were fired.

“Three got shot – one woman in the womb, one man on his cheek and one man on his arm,” said Myanmar Red Cross official Kyaw Myint, who witnessed the clash.

“The crowd is still growing,” he added.

Doctors do not expect a 19-year-old woman shot during a protest in the capital Naypyitaw on Tuesday to survive. She was hit in the head with a live round fired by police.

Far from losing steam, it looks like today is the largest protest turnout yet #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar pic.twitter.com/N6R1ThcSIh

— Andrew Nachemson (@ANachemson) February 12, 2021

On Friday, protesters welcomed the US decision hours earlier imposing new sanctions against Myanmar the country’s top military officials who ordered this month’s coup.

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order that allowed the Treasury Department to also target the spouses and adult children of those being sanctioned.

“As a part of today’s action, Treasury is designating 10 current and former military officials responsible for the February 1, 2021 coup or associated with the Burmese military regime,” the US Treasury said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

The sanctions name top military commander Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win, as well as four members of the State Administration Council.

A police officer aims a gun during clashes with protesters taking part in a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on February 9, 2021

The move will prevent the generals from accessing more than $1bn in Myanmar government funds held in the United States. The sanctions also will affect the Myanmar Ruby Enterprise and Myanmar Imperial Jade Co, businesses controlled by the regime.

President Win Myint, de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials were arrested in what Biden administration said earlier this month was a coup. The declaration set the stage for the administration to levy the new sanctions.

“Today’s sanctions need not be permanent,” the White House said in a statement.

“Burma’s military should immediately restore power to the democratically elected government, end the state of emergency, release all those unjustly detained, and ensure peaceful protestors are not met with violence.”

.@USTreasury is sanctioning Burma’s military leaders who led a coup that rejects the will of Burmese people. We repeat our calls for Burma’s military to relinquish power, restore the democratically elected government, and release those unjustly detained.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 11, 2021

  In a separate statement of social media, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the generals “to relinquish power, restore the democratically elected government, and release those unjustly detained.”

While welcoming the sanctions, supporters of detained leader Suu Kyi and her party, National League for Democracy (NLD), said tougher action was needed to push the military out of power and force it to recognise the NLD’s landslide victory in November elections.

“We are hoping for more actions than this as we are suffering every day and night of the military coup here in Myanmar, ” Suu Kyi supporter Moe Thal, 29, told Reuters news agency on Friday.

“We want to finish this ASAP. We may need more punishment and action against Myanmar’s acting president and generals.”

The 7th day of nationwide protests against military rule starting agains all over Myanmar despite that raids had taken place throughout the country the night before which targeted protest organisers and election officials. #2021uprising pic.twitter.com/MV3bR89UuD

— Myanmar Now (@Myanmar_Now_Eng) February 12, 2021

  The military cited unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud as part of the reason for the February 1 takeover of the government and declaration of a one-year state of emergency.

The generals have maintained the actions are legally justified, and have cited an article in the Constitution that allows the military to take over in times of emergency.

It remains to be seen what, if any, affect the sanctions will have. Many of the military leaders are already under sanctions because of attacks against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US is “prepared to take additional action should Burma’s military not change course. If there is more violence against peaceful protestors, the Burmese military will find that today’s sanctions are just the first.”

The White House also announced that USAID, the US foreign development agency, is redirecting $42.4m of assistance that had been slated for Myanmar, funding that was intended to support efforts to overhaul the nation’s economic policy, as well as programmes that support civil society and the private sector.

USAID, however, is keeping in place $69m to support healthcare, food security, independent media, and peace and reconciliation efforts.

Meanwhile, arrests and detentions continue across Myanmar against those who are suspected of expressing their opposition to the military rule.

One social media posted on Friday showed a man being taken away by authorities, as his daughter confronted them, saying his father is not a criminal.

At the same time, the government announced that at least 23,000 prisoners have been pardoned, or have been issued shorter sentences.

The order is signed by Min Aung Hlaing, the chairman of the military junta government.

According to reports, among those included in the pardon is the controversial Buddhist monk, Wirathu, who has a history of inciting violence against minority Muslims in the country including the Rohingya.

There is a serious concern that the release of the prisoners is meant to clear space for the detention of more political detainees and anti-military protesters.

"My father is not a criminal, tell me why you arrested him" A man was taken by armed soldiers in Southern Shan State, at least 260 political dissidents were arrested after military coup in Myanmar. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar pic.twitter.com/RkWQjCPD3x

— Wa Lone (@walone4) February 12, 2021

Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=18023&feed_id=33368

[greatdetectivewombat]

Today, 13th June 2021, is #Black4Rohingya day. I didn't speak out loud for losing their families, friends, properties, and human rights for decades. So, this is my apologies to all persecuted minorities in Myanmar including Rohingya, Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, Rakhine. I hope the day that we don't need this campaign any more. @protecttherohingya #rohingyalivesmatter #rohingyacrisis #rohingyarefugees #saverohingya #stopgenociderohingya #June13Coup #whatshappeninginmyanmar https://www.instagram.com/p/CQDDv4bsBLMXILm5Wxk0Y9xXlWPJb_ndWYMO8s0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[partnersrelief]

"We met hundreds of Rohingya survivors"

Rohingya families in Rakhine State, Myanmar are trapped in the middle of the conflict between the ethnic armed organization, the Arakan Army, and the Myanmar Military. 

As the anniversary of the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya people nears, groups like Amnesty International are sounding the alarm that “increasing deadly attacks against Rohingya people in Myanmar’s Rakhine State bear a terrifying resemblance to the atrocities of August 2017.”

You can learn more about what families are experiencing here and here. 

Warning: some content is disturbing. 

Our Rohingya Community Health Workers (CHWs) have met hundreds of people who have fled to Bangladesh. Many have arrived wounded, with stories of relentless attacks and heartbreaking loss of those they love.

Our lead CHW shared what they are witnessing:

It’s very sad to share that we, the CHWs, met hundreds of Rohingya survivors who have recently arrived in Bangladesh, fleeing from drone and artillery attacks. We provided at least 20 people with medicine and dressed their wounds.

We met them when they arrived at our camp. We found them injured and physically very sick. Some had bullet injuries on both legs, arms, eyes, and across their body. They said that they had to cross the Naf River for at least 4 to 5 days to reach the Bangladesh side because the Arakan Army was present on the Myanmar side and border guards patrolled the Bangladesh side.

Many people lost their lives as the small boats drowned at night. It was mostly children and women who lost their lives. 

Many people lost their lives as the small boats drowned at night. It was mostly children and women who lost their lives. 

In the meantime, we helped them with emergency treatment, but they need further treatment and some need to be hospitalized and receive care from a doctor. There are many more Rohingya like these who are facing lots of difficulties.

We, the CHWs of Partners, would like to help them more…as they need emergency medical support and food.

This moment is an invitation to put love into action.

We were on the ground with Rohingya families during the widespread attacks in 2012. In 2017. And we’re there again today.  

Because love spurs us to act and remind our friends that they are not alone. 

We can’t do this without you. 

Come with us to deliver rice, medical care, and meet urgent needs.

Send love and relief now.

[partnersrelief]

Cyclone Mocha: Hasun’s Story

Photo: A Rohingya woman with a young child walks through a destroyed community near Sittwe, Myanmar. 

Hasun is Rohingya and father to 3 children: A 10 year-old, 7 year-old, and 3 year-old.

He shared that his community near Sittwe, Myanmar received information about the cyclone and flooding. The village administrator suggested evacuating to a safer place but didn't say where to go. Some people moved to other villages where they have relatives. Hasun said they didn’t have any relatives to go to. He and his wife didn’t know where to go with their three children, so they decided to stay home. On Sunday the 14th, around 12 pm, the wind started, and it became stronger and stronger. He was aware that the storm was very powerful and realized that he couldn't stay home anymore. There had been some cyclones before, but this time it was so strong.

Suddenly, more water came in quickly with high speeds and washed out his wife and mother-in-law.

He is not sure what time his family decided to leave the house. It was flooding outside; they were trying to get out of the village. Suddenly, more water came in quickly with high speeds and washed out his wife and mother-in-law. The water reached up to his neck. He managed to escape with his three children, but he couldn't save his wife and her mother. His wife's dead body was found hooked on the barbed wire fence. She was thirty years old.

He said some people wouldn’t have died if there was no barbed wire fence. Because of the fence, they had to choose a different route to escape, which took more time, and resulted in many lost lives. Some people tried to break the brick wall on the other side of the airport, later some police helped them break it, and they were able to escape from the flood.

His children are living with a family in another village, and the youngest child is always crying for their mother. Now, he is living in his village beside the road. Almost every house was destroyed in Sittwe, so it is hard for people to host another family. Now, the most important thing that they need is rice, food, and shelter.

The stories from our Rohingya friends whose entire communities were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha are heartbreaking to hear. The crisis caused by this natural disaster was gravely compounded by the dire conditions that Rohingya families endure under the Myanmar government.

We are called to bear witness to our friends' experiences as we stand in solidarity with them. 

Please join us as our team rapidly responds to the urgent relief requests from Rohingya communities in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha.

Donate Now

[partnersrelief]

Displaced. Again.

Photo: Fire consumes Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh (Credit: Ro Yassin Abdumonab)./a>

1.

This week.

our team has been responding to the fire that broke out in the Rohingya refugee camps near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh on Sunday. 2,000 homes were destroyed, leaving around 12,000 people without shelter. We are heartbroken for our Rohingya friends who are facing unimaginable loss once again.

We’ve delivered food packs with staples like rice, oil and spices to support 1,000 people, but the needs are great. You can help fuel our ongoing relief effort here.

2.

#GivingTuesday

may be a distant memory, but we haven’t forgotten the power of this community to come together to ensure 6 Rohingya villages in Myanmar have the security of a regular supply of rice. The first distribution of 50kg bags have made it to our Rohingya friends who, whilst also having food for their kids, know for certain that they haven’t been forgotten. This is what it looks like when we put love into action.

Photos: our team delivering rice to one of the 6 communities you're supporting.

3.

Nahida is Rohingya

but she doesn’t know what Myanmar looks like. As a second-generation refugee, she and her family still experience so many of the same challenges as those who fled the 2017 genocide. One of those is access to education. But you’re doing something to change that.

 4. 

Wednesday

was International Women’s Day and to mark the occasion, Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment featured our very own Middle East Director of Operations, Hanin, who has most recently been leading our earthquake response in Syria and Turkey.

Read more about her inspiring journey breaking through the social norms in her community.

5.

In Michigan

this weekend? Drop by our stand at the Ada / Forest Hills Community Expo and say hi! We’ll have something special for you to try from our cookbook and give you the chance to travel virtually with us into the earthquake zone in Syria.

Thanks for continually showing up with love.

Your friends at Partners.

[partnersrelief]

In Her Words

Photo: Rohingya girls carry food packs at a Partners' distribution in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, August 2024.

Our team on the ground in Bangladesh has heard story after story of horrible atrocities and heartbreak that Rohingya families have lived through in recent months. Widespread and brutal attacks have been carried out against Rohingya communities in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Many have raised concerns that the atrocities taking place today are similar to the 2017 genocide.

Last week, Hasseina*, shared her story of fleeing Myanmar with our crisis relief team.

In her words:

The situation (in Myanmar) has deteriorated. People can't move freely because of the ongoing shootings. They can't even go out to buy food, and many are suffering from hunger. The situation is extremely desperate.

The Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military are attacking us. Rohingya people are dying in this violence, and many have already lost their lives.

I survived by hiding and taking cover near a boat.

As we were coming (to Bangladesh) shots were fired at us. Approximately 300 people died while we were on the shore, They fired four large weapons. I survived by hiding and taking cover near a boat.

Photo: Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

There were three families on our boat. Around 18 people. It was night-time when we boarded. When our boat began to sink, another boat came and rescued us. When we reached the Bangladesh side, we couldn't land immediately, so we stayed on an island all day. Later that night, we secretly made it to shore. It was very difficult with the children; we spent the entire day on the island without food and crossed into Bangladesh at night. 

I have family who came here before. My mother and brother are here. Some of us are living with my mother, and some with my brother. We don’t have a house to live in. 

I couldn’t stay in Myanmar any longer, so I came here...I’m not sure what to do next.

I thought we could stay in our village, but now we are forced to leave our village. I couldn’t stay in Myanmar any longer, so I came here. I had hoped to stay with my brother and mother, but they don’t have the space to accommodate us (in the long term). Now, our family is living in different houses, and we need to move around since we don’t have a stable place to stay. I’m not sure what to do next.

I hope to return to Myanmar if there is peace. I want my family to live in our own house, work, and have a stable income. We cannot survive here without a job and income.

I don’t think there will be peace in Myanmar. I don’t believe we can go back and live there; they will treat us the same way as before.

To see Rohingya communities once again on the run, after years of continued oppression is grief-filled.

We can’t stop the conflict in Myanmar, but we can meet Rohingya families right where they are with medical care, food, & shelter. 

Send help today.

*pseudonym used for safety

[partnersrelief]

An Urgent Update from Partners Relief Team in Bangladesh

Photo: We have been working alongside Rohingya communities in Myanmar since 2012.

Over the last couple of weeks, thousands of Rohingya have been fleeing the Maungdaw area in Northern Rakhine State. Today we sat down with 6 families who had crossed the border to Bangladesh and listened to them as they told their stories. 

While many fled the violence in 2017 and are now living in camps in Bangladesh, some stayed in Maungdaw. Over the last year, there has been a lot of fighting between the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army. Two groups that both want the Rohingya gone. The Rohingya are caught in the middle.

Today we heard stories of horrific and seemingly random violence. Stories of families being shot in their homes, of people being shot while trying to get into boats to cross the river to Bangladesh, of sinking boats full of people who all drowned.

“We thought that we would lose our lives if we stayed in Myanmar.”

One woman told us that her nephew, who was shot and is without adequate medical care, is still trapped in Myanmar. Even as they have tried to bring him across the border, the dangerous conditions have made it impossible. She shared, “We thought that we would lose our lives if we stayed in Myanmar.” We are hearing similar stories repeated over and over again. 

We can’t change what has happened to them and we can’t stop the conflict in Myanmar. But we can help them in their current situation.

Many are now staying with families in overcrowded tents in the refugee camps but some have no family to stay with. They are moving every few days, staying wherever they can. They are not registered in the camps and so are not receiving food distributions.

We can’t change what has happened to them and we can’t stop the conflict in Myanmar. But we can help them in their current situation. Tomorrow we will provide food packs for 200 families, including those we talked to today. After that, the money we have to respond will be gone. 

There is so much more that we can do. These families need shelter, medicine, and food, and we can’t provide these without your help. 

Please consider giving today to help the Rohingya.

Give now.

[partnersrelief]

"The enemy arrives at our place."

Photo: Saw Pah Saw Min receiving relief supplies in Karen State, Myanmar.

1.

Struggling

just to make a living. Conflict on their doorstep.  Saw Pah Saw Min is one of the 1.9 million displaced in Myanmar. 

Watch Now

See his story. Share it. And know that every month, help is continuing to reach these communities living on the run, thanks to your ongoing support.

2.

Humble 

in appearance, yet more impactful than you know. Our new women’s health center just opened near Sittwe, Myanmar, where access to other clinics is either too expensive or too far away. Rohingya women in this community now have access to family planning and pregnancy healthcare services, thanks to a trained local midwife and through your ongoing partnership.

Photo: In this humble green clinic, Rohingya women now have access to health services.

3.

You see dirt.

We see a foundation being established.  Our next school rebuild is underway in the Sinjar region of Iraq! Damaged by weather and conflict, 37 remaining students eventually had to move out and study in someone’s home.  But not for much longer.  The rebuilt school will be a center for learning for more than 200 students. That’s a foundation worth building.

Photo: Work on our next school rebuild begins in the Sinjar region of Iraq.

4.

Musicians 

playing where the roar of war once dominated? This is what peace looks like. Coming alongside youth to equip them in peacebuilding through music, art, and community dialogue? That’s what helps ensure this peace only grows. And you’re fueling it through the Arts For Peace Project in the Ninevah region of Iraq, run by our local partner, The Sustainable Peace Foundation.

Photo: group training on musical instruments in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq.

5.

Looking 

for your next read? As you know, we’re doing some shouting this month. Extending one hand to our friends as the other hand is waving to send out an S.O.S. Here are books about what’s happening in Myanmar that will inspire you to take action.

Take heart, friends. Together, we are standing on the front lines with the hurting and building peace for future generations. That is something worth fighting for. 

Your friends at Partners.

Donate Now

[partnersrelief]

"I often had to run away."

Photo: Naw Tha Dah Paw stands in the newfound safety of Mae La Refugee Camp.

Tuesday was Nelson Mandela Day. A perfect moment to reflect on the idea that we all have a responsibility to change the world for the better, starting in the communities we’re in. We believe this. We know you believe this too. And so does Naw Tha Dah Paw.

Growing up in rural Karen State, Myanmar, her parents dreamed of their seven children being able to receive the education they never had the chance to experience. With the backdrop of active conflict and no high school in her village, her parents made the decision to send her to Mission High School in Mae La Refugee Camp.

“I came without my family to study and explore my potential. When I stayed in my village, I often had to run away from the fighting, so I couldn’t go to school freely or enjoy it. After I came to Mae La Refugee Camp, I felt safe.”

Photo: Outside one of the boarding homes in Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand.

It’s here that she found support in the form of a safe space to live while she studies: a boarding home you help fund that provides children like Naw Tha Dah Paw with a place to stay, food, hygiene supplies, school materials and more. It’s an investment that we know will pay off. “I would like to become a nurse working in a hospital when I finish school. Becoming a nurse has always been my passion, and I want to devote my life to treating and taking good care of patients.”

We’re confident Naw Tha Dah Paw is going to change the world for the better. And it’s been made possible because you believe the same too. We love the way you think!

Also this week...

1.

Puddles

are fun to splash in, but months of walking to school in the rain is no fun. 183 students near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh no longer have to, since now they’ve received their own umbrellas, courtesy of you.

2.

Construction 

continues at the Phoenix Learning Center extension. For those of you who love seeing building progress shots, we see you. Here’s where it’s at.

3.

First, kayaking.

Next, climbing waterfalls! Our SEED GED students had the chance to join a connection-building excursion to the sticky waterfall near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Raise your hand if you’re thinking you want to join the GED program too!

Photo: GED students enjoying climbing sticky waterfall near Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Photo: GED students enjoying climbing sticky waterfall near Chiang Mai, Thailand.

4.

Staggering 

numbers in a recent briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria: 15.3 million people, or nearly 70% of the population, require humanitarian assistance. With malnutrition on the rise and 330,000 people still displaced by the February earthquake, our work in this region is as important as ever.

In the face of numbers like these, let’s continue to steadfastly believe we have the power to change the story for kids affected by conflict and oppression.

Because we are. Together.

Your friends at Partners.

[partnersrelief]

Let the light in.

Photo: A child being treated last month at a clinic in Al-Hol Refugee Camp, Syria.

1.

Good news

from the most surprising of places. You’re keeping the lights on, literally and figuratively, in a clinic that is treating some of the most vulnerable children in the world: kids growing up in Al-Hol Refugee Camp, Syria. Bringing light to a dark place; it's what you do well.

2.

Sew excited

to let you know our latest batch of sewing trainees have graduated! This newly mastered skillset isn’t just helpful for these women who can now sew their own clothes, but also equips them to generate income. The flow-on effect this will have for their children and community is something worth celebrating. 🎉

Photos: The happy graduates of our recent sewing training in Karen State, Myanmar.

3.

Kham Naw's

school had to move due to fighting in his village. But it hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his goal.

4.

Zinc supplements 

and tylenol. You helped bring these and more this past month with medicine distributions to 583 refugees in Bangladesh. Because when your kids are sick, medicine to help them recover should always be at hand.

Photo: Receiving supplements from our health workers near Coxes Bazar, Bangladesh.

5.

You should know

our team has reported that since the military coup in 2021, 18 schools in Karen State have been destroyed by airstrikes. The Myanmar Army wants shocking data like this to go under the radar. You can help us make sure it’s brought into the light by sharing this email with your friends. 

6.

"Let light in and remind you again and again of bold, unbridled hope stirring deep within."

~ Morgan Harper Nichols

Never underestimate the power of hope. It’s what your love is stirring up in conflict zones across the world.

Your friends at Partners.

[partnersrelief]

For the dads.

Photo: A father with his child in a migrant community near the Thai-Myanmar border.

1.

Disaster

strikes. We respond. Thousands of families lost everything in Cyclone Mocha. So we are compelled to do more than just offer condolences.

Give $25. Your gift gets matched. Two families have the relief of knowing where this month’s meals will come from. This is how it works. Join us.

2.

Meet

some of the GED class of 2023! Behind each portrait is a story of overcoming challenges and the impact of conflict to pursue the dream of completing their education. Like Khin Oo's.

“I grew up in a poor family in Moung Noung Township, Myanmar...This is my first time in Chiang Mai and I am the first in my family to go anywhere...One day my mother said to us, “If you love me, you should try to study. No matter how hard it is for me, I am satisfied if you can go to school...” ​​Then I tried the GED program entrance exam and I passed. When I told my mother about the GED and that I wanted to go, my mother was very happy.” ~ Khin Oo

We're excited to see what the future holds for each of them!

3.

Wide

smiles. Laughter. You’d never guess these kids are in one of the most desolate and dangerous places in the world. When you support the safe space in Al-Hol, you make this joy in a dark place possible.

Photos: Some of the fun and games in the childly-friendly space in Al-Hol, Syria.

4.

Borders

impact lives. We see it over and over. If you’re looking for a good read that explores the history of how borders have affected people in the regions we work, we recommend Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe.

Photo: A father and his son in a migrant community near the Thai-Myanmar border.

5. 

Hugs

provision and practical advice - dad's help us navigate the purchases of first cars and first homes - and hold our boats steady when they rock. Whether in times of war or times of peace, we are thankful for all our dads who use their super powers for our good. As we celebrate fathers this week, we want to remember and honor brave fathers that risk everything to protect their children in the middle of war zones. Our hearts, and prayers, are with you this Father's Day.

Your friends at Partners.

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Four hour walk.

Photo: One of the seven remote clinics you help support in Karen State, Myanmar.

Friend,

When Saw De Htoo arrived at the clinic, a four hour walk from his home village in Karen State, Myanmar, his whole little body was swollen and his Mom and Dad, like any parents, were deeply concerned about their boy.

Photo: Saw De Htoo when he first arrived at the clinic.

Access to healthcare has long been a problem here, where decades of war has meant minimal investment in the health system. Add to that the escalating conflict following the military coup and too many parents are faced with few options for help when their kids are sick or injured.

This makes the health projects you’re backing in this region all the more critical. Partnering with the local Karen Department of Health and Welfare, you help supply seven clinics in remote areas with medicine, equipment and support for staff and operating costs.

The health workers at the clinic were able to diagnose Saw De Htoo with a kidney disorder called Nephrotic Syndrome, and admitted him for treatment and monitoring until the swelling reduced. Discharged 6 days later with the necessary medication to continue his recovery and a date for a check-up, his parents left extremely grateful that their little boy would be ok.

Photo: After 6 days of treatment and monitoring, it's time to go home.

Images like this one of Saw De Htoo happy and healthy again are what we’re all about. Last year over 6,000 kids like him received care in these clinics that has given them a better chance at living a free, full life. Because every single one of them matters.

We hope it brings you joy to see and hear of the precious lives you’re bringing care and hope to in conflict-ravaged Eastern Myanmar.

Also this week...

1. 

This

is what we’re all about. 3,379 families helped so far with items like rice, tarps, rope and bamboo for building shelters, and other food items. Rapid emergency relief in a time of crisis. The United Nations and others are calling for more help, and we need all hands on deck to meet the needs.

Photos: Some of the villages affected by Cyclone Mocha receiving rice and tarps.

2.

Resilient

is an understatement. Deep in Karen State, our relief team last week met with an amazing community of displaced families who have been hiding close to the front lines of conflict for some time. Through thick mud, heavy rainfalls, intense heat and humidity, carrying supplies on trucks, boats, motorbikes and backs, our team brought exactly what they asked for: tarps, mosquito nets and medicine; provided by you. These are the essentials when the bombs come and they’re forced to flee their homes.

Photos: Relief supplies being distributed to displaced villagers in Karen State, Myanmar.

3. 

Music

is healing. Especially in this community in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq, where it was banned from 2003 until its liberation from ISIS control. Our local partner, the Sustainable Peace Foundation, is running the ‘Arts for Peace’ project, which uses art therapy to help students process and heal from the trauma they’ve experienced. Frances, a player of the oud instrument is part of the project and shared:

“Now is the time to send musical notes to people as messages of security, peace, and reassurance, and to show the world that music is the language of treatment for the victims.”

Photo: Frances plays the oud as part of the 'Arts for Peace' project.

Reconciled communities living in peace. The sound of that is music to our ears.

Thank you for being a song of hope in conflict zones, month after month.

Your friends at Partners.

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"I thought she had died” - An update on Cyclone Mocha

Hi Friend,

With communications gradually coming back online, the immense scale of physical and personal devastation left by Cyclone Mocha has become clearer.

"We didn't get information that the flood would be that dangerous, we didn't think that the storm was so powerful…When the storm began, and the wind howled, I realized that the cyclone was more powerful than I thought.”

Rawfiq, who lives with his wife and two daughters in a village near Sittwe, decided to stay because he thought it would be difficult for other family members to house them. “Suddenly, the flood came into the village very quickly. Luckily, I swam and managed to get to the land, but all of the clothes I was wearing and my belongings were washed away by the water.” 

His wife was washed away too. “I thought she had died.” Thankfully she was found alive a day and half later. As you can see in the video below, almost every structure in the internment camps and surrounding villages you’ve been supporting has been damaged or destroyed.

 “Now, I am living beside the road, I can't go back home. My house was totally destroyed…We have to travel too far to get drinking water, all the water wells and hand pumps are damaged and the water is salty now.”

Tragically, the death toll in these communities has begun to climb. As of yesterday morning, our relief networks have personally visited seven villages/camps and have records from those communities of more than 110 lives lost and possibly hundreds more missing. We are deeply grieved by the loss our Rohingya friends, who have already endured so much hardship, are experiencing again. 

Aid access is challenging and we’ve heard directly of government officials minimizing the impact of the storm to Rohingya communities. In response, we've done what we do best - respond immediately with action. Our relief networks are in place and have already begun distributions while they continue to assess needs.

Photo: Residents survey the damage to their communities outside Sittwe, Myanmar.

The resilience of these communities has and continues to be inspiring. Government authorities may choose to look the other direction, but we are compelled to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they work to recover and rebuild their lives.

When you give, you stand with Rawfiq and his family, and you stand with the thousands who have lost loved ones and so much of what they own.

The needs are great and we could empty our entire emergency relief budget 10 times over and still not meet every urgent need. BUT. So is the love of this community that always shows up during times of crisis in communities already caught in hardship of conflict.

Brad Hazlett, President