Istanbul and a World in Crisis

05-24-2016

ISTANBUL, Turkey—More than 700-years before the birth of Christ, this city became a nexus between Europe and Asia. It’s situated along a narrow strait where the Bosphorus flows into the Sea of Marmara. It’s the only water route into the Black Sea.

Once the center of the Byzantine Empire and later named Constantinople after Roman Emperor Constantine, today Istanbul is a major economic and transportation hub.

It is a beautiful city, and because it is a historic bridge between East and West, it is most appropriate for it to host the first World Humanitarian Summit.

Government leaders and aid workers from around the globe are gathering here with a sense of urgency, hoping to better address a world in crisis. More than 130 million people are in need.

Natural disasters and wars—particularly in the Middle East and Africa--have caused the worst humanitarian emergency since the end of World War II.

The Syrian War alone has left about half the country’s people homeless. Nearly 8 million are internally displaced and 4 million are refugees in neighboring countries.

Tiny Lebanon and Jordan have welcomed and housed about half of the Syrian refugees and they’re nearing a breaking point. Without more international help, their economies may eventually collapse.

The United Nations says $25 billion is spent annually on humanitarian relief, but another $15 billion is needed. In comparison, each year the nations of the world spend 70 times more than that, or $1.7 trillion on their militaries.

As wars continue to rage in Africa and the Middle East, and with cyclones devastating cities in Bangladesh and earthquakes destroying lives in Nepal, Japan, Ecuador, and elsewhere, the need is greater than ever for people in wealthy nations to dig deeper into their pockets to help reduce the misery.

We too, can be a bridge to those in need.

"And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more."—Luke 12:48

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