says mum Samara who’s helping clothe freezing Middle East refugees
Last issue HEART carried a short report on one mum’s efforts to help clothe Christians driven out of their homes by IS to spend the winter in tents. Since then Samara Levy has been inundated with offers of donations. Chris Eyte brings the story up to date
IT STARTED WITH A SINGLE AID LORRY trundling off to Iraq packed with clothes and other essential items last October to prepare Christian refugees for camping in the bitterly cold winter.
Samara Levy, aged 36, a full time mum-of-two, organised the transport to help the Christian community in Iraq who ran for their lives last summer after the Islamic State fighters told them to convert to Islam – or die.
However, Samara later learnt that the new refugees were not being properly supported by international agencies. So the industrious mum organised another lorry, then another – in fact, five lorries in total have now taken aid to the refugees.
Samara told HEART that she wants to send more lorries but needs people to organise collections.
Samara said: “This project is a ministry of love that is just as important for the people giving as it is for the people receiving this aid in Iraq. It is a great way for anyone to get involved and do something practical to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering so much.”
More than 2 million Iraqi refugees now live in makeshift camps or unfinished buildings on construction sites, since fleeing their home towns, according to the United Nations.
Samara added: “Sharing our clothes is something that all of us are called to do. And I am urging people to please organise collections through their schools, churches and communities which can be added to our next lorry.”
Winter cold has begun to claim lives among people from Iraq and Syria who fled atrocities of the Islamic State (ISIS) and other militants, indigenous Christian workers said. See Persecution Watch pages 6-9