God Will Be Gracious to Them and Bless Them
<Pakistan> Hosting Millions of Afghan Refugees Over 40 Years
In May 2021, as NATO and US forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban took control of the country, leading to a massive influx of refugees into Pakistan. According to The Wall Street Journal, Pakistan, which shares the longest border with Afghanistan, was already home to over 3 million Afghan refugees.
However, Pakistan is struggling with a national debt amounting to 90% of its GDP and relies on an IMF bailout, making it a significant burden to accept more refugees.
Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, approximately 5 million Afghan refugees have entered Pakistan over the past 40 years. Although the UNHCR initiated voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees in 2002, by the end of 2020, 1,435,445 Afghan refugees still remained in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, many view Afghan refugees as drug dealers, terrorists, or criminals. When terrorist attacks occur, young Afghan men are often arrested or beaten in groups, and refugee camps frequently undergo security crackdowns by Pakistani authorities. In Sindh, protests have erupted against the influx of additional refugees, as the region is already overwhelmed with previous waves of migrants.
In 2021, an Afghan diplomat in Pakistan stated, “Since the US military withdrawal, about 1 million people have been affected, and between 500,000 and 700,000 are expected to head toward Pakistan.” In response, the Pakistani government argued that instead of allowing refugees to enter cities indiscriminately, keeping them in temporary camps near the border was the best option.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) announced a plan to provide €100 million to Pakistan for border control and counter-extremism measures, while Germany pledged €500 million. Analysts suggest that the EU is funding refugee accommodation in Pakistan to prevent a “second Syrian refugee crisis” from unfolding in Europe.
Afghan Refugee Situation in Iran
In Iran, the number of Afghan refugees, including unauthorized residents, is estimated to be between 3 million and 4 million. However, the annual tuition costs for approximately 500,000 refugee children in school amount to $300 million, while total international aid falls short of $5 million.
An Iranian official stated, “Since the Taliban took over Kabul, the number of illegal border crossings has reached about 7,000 per day.”
<Bangladesh> One Million Rohingya Living in Poor Refugee Camps
On August 25, 2017, a large-scale outbreak of violence targeting the Rohingya people in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, led to hundreds of thousands fleeing to Bangladesh. In reality, Bangladesh had already been hosting over 300,000 Rohingya refugees since the 1990s, who lived in overcrowded and poor conditions in temporary shelters.
In January 2022, Bangladesh’s foreign minister appealed to the UN, stating that “even after five years, we are still hosting over 1 million Rohingya refugees.” He also highlighted rising security concerns, including human trafficking and drug smuggling, urging international intervention.
》Scripture Prayer
Psalm 67:1-7(NIV)
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. God, the King of kings, has given all nations only one way to salvation through the cross, where He gave His only Son. Let us pray and praise the grace of the cross, which transforms sinners into the righteous and brings life out of death.
2. Let us bless Pakistan, which has sheltered millions of Afghan refugees for over 40 years. Pakistan faces economic hardships and operates refugee camps despite much opposition. Let us pray that the Lord will show grace and bless this country. Through these circumstances, let us pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed in Pakistan and that the time will come when all nations receive salvation.
3. Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest and most densely populated countries. The situation has worsened as the Rohingya people, who fled Myanmar, have also sought refuge there. Let us pray that the Lord, who judges all nations fairly and rules over them, will bless them. Let us pray that the Rohingya in both Bangladesh and Myanmar will be saved through the gospel of the cross, so that they may praise and fear the Lord.
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