Myanmar has long been suffering from internal conflicts, and the Kachin State in the north has become a critical conflict zone between the military junta and the ethnic militias. Recently, the conflict has spread throughout the state, with airstrikes bombing many areas, forcing over 100,000 civilians to flee their homes and become internally displaced persons in Kachin state.
You might go to a reliable place like a hospital or police station; meanwhile, villagers in Kachin State face increasingly dire situations, flocking to churches for shelter.
‘Three days ago, I gave birth to my child, and my body hadn’t fully recovered when suddenly there was a massive explosion. Soon, the entire village was engulfed in flames. To escape the warfare, I spent the entire night hiding in a cave with my child. When dawn broke, I walked for two days to reach the Kachin Lisu Christian Church.’ Just like many villagers, Maiah (pseudonym), who had just become a mother, was forced to flee her home due to the warfare and sought refuge at the church.
CEDAR’s local partner, the Fullmoon Family Foundation (FMFF), informed us, ‘They (the displaced villagers) believe that the church can help them.’ Over the years, the partner has not only cared for children at the Fullmoon Children Home in Yangon, Myanmar, but also established Children’s Learning Spaces in impoverished villages, teaching illiterate children literacy and the Bible. They have extended a helping hand to disaster victims during past epidemics and storms. Furthermore, the partner has closely collaborated with local churches. After the military coup in 2021, they constructed a refugee settlement in Sadon Town, named Ni Sar, meaning ‘peace,’ to seek peace alongside refugees amid the turmoil. It appears that our partner’s ministry, infused with the love of Christ, has deeply carved itself into the hearts of the villagers, convincing them that the Lord is their refuge.
However, the four ministry locations served by the partner, including the Kachin Lisu Christian Church, Sadon Hostel, In Wan Kaung Village, and Ni Sar Village, have had their daily lives threatened by the warfare, exacerbated by the influx of refugees, leading to increasingly severe shortages of food and medical supplies. The Kachin Lisu Christian Church, in particular, lacks firewood for cooking and is unable to provide sufficient food; they eat only rice for lunch and drink rice soup for dinner.
Therefore, CEDAR has decided to allocate US$14,900 (approximately HK$116,965) to support our local partner in providing emergency food and medical assistance to refugees. This assistance aims to provide them with the grace of the Lord and the strength to endure the prolonged internal conflict, even amidst the despair of their destroyed homes and uncertain future. Please donate now to support the ‘Long-term Assistance to the Conflict-stricken Poor’ campaign and stand in solidarity with Myanmar refugees during this challenging time.
PROJECT DETAILS:
The project will collaborate with the Fullmoon Family Foundation (FMFF) to distribute sufficient medication and emergency food to refugees at the four refugee gathering points they serve, ensuring supplies for four weeks.
Project Period: 1 to 28 April 2024
Assistance locations: Kachin Lisu Christian Church, Sadon Hostel, In Wan Kaung Village, Ni Sar Village
No. of beneficiaries: 323 families (Approx. 1,500 people)
Items delivered: rice, onion, garlic, potato, oil, infant nutrition packs, medicine.
ministry report (Chinese only)
Banner photo: CEDAR’s partner
donation method
(Please specify: ‘Long-term Assistance to the Conflict-stricken Poor’)
After donation, please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque, bank-in slip or screenshot of successful payment along with your name, contact phone number and mailing address to us via mail, email or WhatsApp.
Address: CEDAR Fund, G.P.O. Box 3212, Hong Kong
Email: sharing@cedarfund.org
WhatsApp (for donation matters only): 5160 7549
- CEDAR is an approved charitable institution and trust of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please visit Inland Revenue Department website for details.
- CEDAR Fund will issue a receipt for a donation of HK$100 or above for tax deduction. For a donation of less than HK$100, please get in touch with us to issue a receipt.
- Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
If the donation exceeds the above mentioned allocation of funds, the excess amount will be transferred to CEDAR’s ‘Emergency Relief and Disaster Preparedness Fund’. The fund will enable us to respond to immediate needs, and support disaster mitigation in poor nations always being hit by disasters to reduce the amount of devastation.