Syria (MNN) — Lebanon will begin repatriating Syrian refugees to their home country. But this move makes many refugees feel unsafe.
Samuel with Redemptive Stories explains the economic side of things. “The economics of inflation, and the sanctions that have been placed on Bashar al-Assad from the international community, have only exacerbated already existing economic issues.”
“Four years ago, there was a lot of war. But at least the currency was stable.”
At that time, $100 was worth 5000 Lira. Four years later, it’s only worth 400,000 Lira. Even if Syrians have the money to buy what they need, the war in Ukraine means shortages of bread, gas, and electricity.
ISIS
But economics isn’t the only concern. ISIS had made a resurgence in parts of Syria. Samuel says, “They control an area that’s quite desolate, a certain area that is also able to access Iraq, because there is ongoing ISIS influence in Iraq.”
Years of attacks against ISIS have failed to rid the country of its presence. Samuel says, “ISIS is an ideology. It is theology. And you can’t root that out with violence. It has to be transformed out of a person, I believe.”
How to pray
As Syrians flee ISIS violence, many encounter Christians for the first time. Ask God to move among them. Samuel says, “In the areas where churches are responding, they’re seeing actual fruit from those engagements. And that is causing part of this transformation that I just spoke of.”
And pray for an end to the U.S. sanctions against Syria. Samuel says they are not having the hoped-for effect and are hurting the Syrian people.
He even encourages readers to write their senators about the issue. “If you talk to an average Syrian Christian or Muslim, they’re begging the world stage for the sanctions to be removed.”
Header photo courtesy of Christian Aid Mission.
