The United Nations warns Afghanistan is becoming one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. It notes 24.4 million people, more than half of the population, need life-saving humanitarian assistance. It says more than 9 million Afghans are displaced within the country, with little prospect of returning soon to the homes they fled.
As a result of the Taliban takeover, it’s estimated that nearly 700,000 Afghans have entered Pakistan, adding significantly to the already large numbers of Afghan refugees previously living there. The UN estimates the number of refugees currently in Pakistan to be nearly 3 million, making it the second largest refugee population in the world.
Working alongside our partners at Gawahi Mission Trust (GMT) in Pakistan we were able to provide immediate relief to 900 Afghan families living along the Chaman Border city, with food packages and warm blankets. After providing this immediate relief we investigated longer term solutions to the many needs in the area. Our ministry team on the ground, led by Pastor Sarfraz William, developed a vision to establish a school for the refugee children. There currently is no school in the area, which means many children are missing out on the opportunity to receive an education. It is our desire to see this vision come to pass, and to reach this area with the love of Jesus!
Projects
Feeding Families Affected By Flooding
Continuous rains in Balochistan have cause significant flooding that has wreaked havoc, destroying infrastructure, shelters, crops and livestock, causing the death of hundreds of people and displacing tens of thousands. The government has declared a state of emergency in Balochistan Province, with 70% of the rural population having been evacuated from their villages, leaving millions of people living without any shelter and access to food.
There is a great need for food packages, clean drinking water, hygiene kits, and tents for those affected by this disaster. As a result of the feeding program we conducted last winter to help Afghan refugees, the government has reached out to our partner organization in Pakistan requested help in providing food for needy families. On October 15, 2022 we were able to pack 270k meal kits to send to Pakistan along with 1,000 team members who served out of Rock church and neighboring communities.
School For Afghan Refugees
Due to our previous work with relief, our team on the ground in Pakistan has received great favor with the local people and authorities. They’ve built up a trust with them, causing them to allow their children to be educated at our school where they would receive a quality education to provide good opportunities for the future of the children and their families. They will also be learning the bible as part of the curriculum, which opens the door to the Gospel in the lives of the children and their families, which they’ve previously had no access to being a strong Muslim people and culture.
The target demographic would be the Afghani and Pakistani Pashtun people group cluster, which has a population of 88 million and is considered 100% unreached. This would be an amazing legacy project for the Rock Church to launch, in an area that is extremely radicalized for Islam and known for being a breeding ground for terrorism. It is an opportunity to completely transform a community.