African migrants tortured in Yemen

Posted on by 施達基金會

For decades, migrants from the Horn of Africa have passed through Yemen to seek better life in Saudi Arabia. Because of political unrest, more than 260,000 Africans migrated to or through Yemen during 2011-13. The number has decreased since 2013; however, it rose again in March 2014.

The trip across the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea is dangerous, and many migrants drown to death on their journey. Thousands of migrants are stranded in the northern region of Yemen waiting to be transferred illegally to Saudi Arabia. Many are exposed to poverty, homelessness, and abuse.

A multimillion-dollar trafficking racket has developed in the northern Yemeni border town of Haradh, exploiting the migrants.  It is estimated that trafficking and smuggling make up 80% of the local economy.

A recent Human Rights Watch report describes the severe torture suffered by Somalian and Ethiopian migrants in Yemen. Since 2006, Yemeni traffickers in and around Haradh have taken migrants captive and kept them in “torture camps”, where they torture the migrants to extort money from migrants’ relatives in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia.

Aid workers observed signs of abuse in migrants caused by ripping off fingernails, burning ears, branding skin with irons, gouging out of eyes, and breaking of bones.  Health workers have seen migrants with injuries including lacerations from rape, damage from being hung by their thumbs, and burn from cigarettes.  The torture sometimes ends in death.  The Haradh hospital receives dead bodies of at least two migrants per week.

The camps are usually run by Yemeni, who typically come from families related to officials.  Captured migrants can be released if their relatives pay ransoms ranging from US$200 to over $1,000. The authorities are failing in fighting trafficking, and in some occasions even actively help the traffickers. Traffickers pay checkpoint officials so to drive through without being checked, carrying Yemeni and African migrants to the Saudi border.

According to the 2009 international corruption Perception Index, Yemen is ranked 164 out of 182 countries.  The country is in the process of dialogue to address its major issues and to draft a new constitution.  Yemen is facing a crisis in health care, security, and access to food and water; 54·5% of the population live below the poverty line and this proportion is continuously increasing.

More than 308，000 of Yemeni migrants have returned from Saudi Arabia since 2013, due to tightening labor laws.  These returns have handicapped the government’s ability to handle African migrants. The authorities stopped fighting traffickers, because they could not provide the migrants with food and shelter.

To end this human disaster, Yemen must commit to the 1951 Refugee Convention on the rights of refugees. The international community and donor countries should aim to resolve this tragedy and support governmental and non-governmental organisations initiatives. Fighting bribery in Yemen is also important to reduce human trafficking. [HRW, the Lancet]

Meditation on Scriptures

(The Queen of Sheba spoke to King Solomon:)
“Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” (1 Kings 10:9)

“And all from Sheba will come,
bearing gold and incense
and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.” (Is 60:6)

The Queen of Sheba (present day Yemen) learnt from Solomon that a major responsibility given by God to rulers is to exercise justice.  Isaiah prophesized that Sheba would at the end time come to praise the God of all nations.  May Yemenis today learn that the security of the poor migrants is a priority of responsible governance, and come to the real knowledge of the Sovereign God.

Pray for the African migrants in Yemen:

  • Pray that the Government will raid and stop the functioning of torture camps, and provide migrants with all necessities for a decent living.
  • Pray that donor countries will exert pressure on Yemeni and Saudi Arabian authorities to investigate and prosecute the traffickers.

Iraqi Women and Girls Face Gender-based Violence amidst Conflicts

Posted on by 施達基金會

Iraq is experiencing one of the largest internal population displacements in the world and the recent surge in sectarian violence threatens to unleash a wave of new violence against women and girls.

Since the beginning of 2014, the UN estimates as many as 1.2 million people have been uprooted due to fighting between militants from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS), local Sunni tribes, Shia militias and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), more than 7,000 people were killed in the last six months and more than 13,000 injured. In the month of June alone, UNAMI recorded 2,417 deaths and 2,287 injuries. This is the highest month of casualty rate since 2007, the peak of Iraq’s sectarian civil war in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion.

Shortly after the conquest of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, ISIS militants armed with assault rifles went door to door taking “women who are not owned” for Jihad Al-Nikad, or sex jihad. In just one week (Jun 9 – 12), women’s rights activists documented 13 cases of women who were kidnapped and raped by the militants who also forced men to watch the rape of their wives, daughters and sisters. Of the 13 women, four of them committed suicide out of shame; one woman’s brother even committed suicide because he could not bear the guilt of his inability to protect his sister.

Before the conflicts, it was already difficult being a woman in Iraq, but the current wave of conflicts threatens to make life even worse for them. UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned at the beginning of this month that an estimated 20,000 women and girls in Iraq are at an increased risk of sexual violence as a result of the mounting crisis in the north and west. It also raised public attention that the violence in northern Iraq in the past month has displaced approximately one million people, in which there are 250,000 women and girls, and including nearly 60, 000 pregnant women, are all in need of urgent health care and protection.

Women and girls have often been the center of sexual and gender-based violence amidst conflicts around the world. Let us pray for the displaced people of Iraq, especially for women and girls who are most vulnerable amidst conflicts. [IPS, UN]


Meditation on Scriptures:

‘You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
You encourage them, and You listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.’ (Psalm 10:17-18)

Pray for Iraq that:

  • The leaders of the Iraqi government, ISIS and religious sects can actively participate in the settlement of the current conflicts in Iraq.
  • The rights of women and girls in Iraq will be protected.
  • The required support (esp. funds) in continuing life-saving humanitarian assistance will be met.
  • The Christians living in Iraq will not be persecuted amidst the sectarian conflicts.

Churches in Gengma Yunnan care for the Marginalised Communities

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for the ministry in Gengma, Yunnan]

Deputy Director of Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Health expressed his appreciation to the staff of Gengma County Christian Council (Social Service) after attending the training session, commenting it’s practical and “down-to-earth” HIV/AIDS prevention training.

A grandfather residing in the rural village of Gengma, Yunnan lost his wife last year, leaving him and his little granddaughter alone. All these years his life is troubled by problems causing by his drug-addicted son, and now, he has an additional worry if he can raise his little granddaughter till she is grown-up. ‘I can no longer cut down the sugar cane by myself. I obtain some income from renting out my farm to others and also from being a watchman in an orange grove. I also plant some maze and rear chicken for living.’

Since 2007, CEDAR has organized ‘Integral Mission’ training for the Yunnan churches, encouraging them to walk with the poor and respond to the need of the impoverished people. Many churches then started to set up their “social service team” and regularly paid visits to the poor, orphan and widows, and the elderly in the communities. A lot of these marginalised families suffer from drug addict and HIV/AIDS problem. The grandfather mentioned above is among those that the Gengma church visit regularly. They listen to him, share his burdens and provide emotional and spiritual support. The church even arranges him to join a training on rearing chicken and hope such techniques can help him to earn a better living.

Besides visiting the impoverished households, CEDAR’s partner “Christian Council (Social Service) of Gengma Dai & Va Nationality Autonomous County” also organise HIV/AIDS prevention training at different churches and provide support for the youth migrant workers.

Pray for the ministry in Gengma, Yunnan:

  • Thank God for the meaningful service by the Gengma churches, that through them many impoverished people and marginalised families receive care and support;
  • Pray for the work in supporting the HIV/AIDS affected families and youth migrant workers, and that a lot more impoverished families will be blessed though the services of the local churches.

Donate Now! Click here.

Other Methods of Payment

  1. Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  2. Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  3. Autopay (only applicable to regular fixed donations), enclosing with a completed Autopay Authorisation Form (Download: WORD or PDF)
  4. Visa/ Master Card

Download Donation Form

Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.

Donation Form: WORD or PDF

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Trafficking in Persons Report Downgrades Thailand and Malaysia to Lowest Tier

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for those people vulnerable to human trafficking]

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In the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. government has downgraded Thailand, Malaysia and Venezuela to Tier 3, the lowest ranking of fighting against modern-day slavery. Ironically these 3 countries are among those that promote themselves as modern and fast-developing countries.

The report cites evidence of forced labour and sex trafficking in Malaysia and Thailand. It highlights Malaysia’s problem with migrants from other Asian nations who seek work on farms, factories and construction sites only to be trapped and have their passports taken and wages withheld.

In Thailand, according to the report, there are tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring countries being exploited in the commercial sex industry, on fishing boats, and as domestic servants. This downgrading could cause some multinational companies to reconsider investments in industries accused of using trafficked labour such as fisheries, which is a lucrative business in Thailand (Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of shrimp).

And in Venezuela, women and girls are often lured from poor interior regions to tourist centers with the promise of false job offers. When they arrive, they are often forced into prostitution.

More than 20 million people worldwide are believed to be ensnared in some form of forced labour, according to the International Labour Organisation. [TIP Report, CNN, CNBC]

Meditation on Scriptures:

‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ Proverbs 31:8-9

When we think that human trafficking is far from us, are we aware that the prawns we eat may be caught by the modern slaves working on the fishing boat, the clothes we wear may be sewed by the forced labourers in the factories, and the domestic workers in our society may be treated as slaves and with their wages withheld. They are voiceless and destitute. Will you speak up for them?

Pray for those people vulnerable to human trafficking:

  • Pray that the government of Thailand, Malaysia and Venezuela will respond actively to their human trafficking issues;
  • Pray that God will rescue and heal those people who suffer from modern slavery;
  • Pray for good cooperation between nations and international NGOs, and for a comprehensive and feasible strategy to stop human trafficking.

 

Behind Brazil World Cup

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[ePrayer – Pray for the impoverished communities in Brazil]

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Brazilian street artist Paulo Ito crystallizes Brazillian’s frustration over the World Cup event: A hungry child sits with his eating utensils at the dining table, cries when his plate comes bearing not food but a soccer ball.

All people around the world are earnestly looking forward to the kickoff of Brazil World Cup 2014 on 12 June. However, behind the Event, apart from the subway train strikes that hit the newspaper headline recently, the desperate situation of local slums, ongoing unresolved livelihood issues and corruption seen at all levels demand our attention.

Brazil ranks the world’s seventh biggest economy and is even the biggest one in South America, but ironically is also at the top of the list of income disparity. Local communities have always been suffering from chronic poor education, shortage of medical service, unsafe living environment and corruption. Although in the last 5 years the Brazilian government has continuously increased the expenditure on education, medical care, housing and social assistance, the Brazilians are frustrated at their government spending $13 billion in hosting this year’s World Cup event.

To ensure a safe environment for the World Cup event and its travelers, the Brazilian police has set up a special task force since 2008 to clear up drug trafficking and triad activities in the slums of the major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Their actions seems effective and the security seems improving, but the drug dealers are in fact still active on the sly. Most slum residents feel even more unsafe with the way how the police uses their power. Police can shoot anyone they suspect, including the civilians and the innocent children.

After the World Cup, Brazil will continue to prepare for her next hosting event, Rio 2016 Olympics. Pray that Brazilian government will actively respond to the basic demands of her people, improve their living conditions and the environment in the slum areas, and seriously attend to the corruption widely seen in the country. [The Financial Times, news.com.au, The Washington Post]

Meditation on Scriptures:

‘Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labour. He says, “I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.” So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.’

‘Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 22:13-16)

Brazilians love to play soccer, but the slum residents living in dire straits even yearn more for better living condition, better education and safer living environment. May we not forget the need of the marginalised communities in Brazil while we enjoy the tournaments. That is what it means to know the Lord, our God.

Pray for the impoverished communities in Brazil:

  • May Brazilian government respond to the different demands of people on better living and labour rights;
  • Pray for God’s protection and peace to the slum residents;
  • Pray that God will stop the abuse of power by police. Pray that the police will enforce with love and justice.

May God Lead the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Work in Haiti

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project in Haiti]

eprayer20140607

After the magnitude 7.0 earthquake of 2010 in Haiti, the capital Port-au-Prince faced severe devastation.  Many people moved to other cities for better opportunities or returned to hometowns for re-starting their new lives.  Port-de-Paix, the city located in the northwest region, has seen a large population growth since the earthquake, but is in fact situated in one of the highest earthquake risk areas.

The poor sanitation systems and damaged drainage canals created major hygiene problems leading to the spread of common diseases and even the outbreak of cholera in the fast-growing communities, jeopardizing the lives of many. The unregulated construction of new homes has increased the risk of landslides, flooding and future earthquake fatalities.

Recently, CEDAR’s partner World Concert Haiti (WCH) has been working on a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project in Port-de-Paix and Anse-a-Foleur, both located in the northern region of Haiti.  WCH is retrofitting a school and a church hall into evacuation centres and repairing some damaged canals for improving the water supply and hygiene environment in these places.  More than 50 volunteers are trained in familiarization of early disaster warning system. It’s estimated that 25,000 earthquake and hurricane affected individuals will be benefited from the DRR work in this project.

Pray for the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project in Haiti:

  • Pray for the disaster risk reduction work including construction of flood canal and retrofitting of a school and a church hall into evacuation centres.   
  • May the Lord grant more wisdom to the staff of WCH for smooth negotiation with the government officials concerning the re-development arrangement.
  • May the Lord have mercy on the people in Haiti and provide them with improved living environment. Pray for God’s provisions to those who have lost their homes and those who are still suffering from the damage caused by the earthquake.     

Donate Now! Click here.

Other Methods of Payment

  1. Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  2. Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  3. Autopay (only applicable to regular fixed donations), enclosing with a completed Autopay Authorisation Form (Download: WORD or PDF)
  4. Visa/ Master Card

Download Donation Form

Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.

Donation Form: WORD or PDF

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.