Partners Relief & Development Blog

The latest stories, images and films from the places we're working to see children affected by conflict and oppression experience free, full lives.

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On the Run

Why we're going "On the Run"

One of the things that makes me most proud of the Partners community is how often I witness people responding to the suffering in our world with love and action.  Whether it’s through financial support, service, advocacy, or prayers - I’m so grateful to be among people who are choosing not to look away.  It’s my conviction that even our small acts of love and solidarity are not wasted. 

The 40th Birthday Experiment

Last year, as I approached my 40th birthday, I was inspired by our community to do a small fundraiser run in support of our work with kids and communities in places like Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Bangladesh and more.   As I trained, I would think about our friends who have had to run from explosions, violence, and worse.   What started as a small experiment grew into a few other people joining in their own run and us raising over $5k.  In the grand scheme of things, I know that’s not a ton of money, but it’s not nothing.  Plus, having a fitness goal greatly helped manage my culinary hobbies :)

How far can we go?

This year, we’re hoping to invite even more people to join us for what could be a very meaningful movement that we’re calling “On the Run”.  As we run, walk, hike, or bike - we’ll be moving in solidarity with our siblings around the world caught in conflict- telling their story every step of the way.  There are currently 13 participants a part of the campaign so far, and have raised over $3,300 collectively! A message from a current On The Run participant: "My political worldview expanded in high school and college, when I was exposed to scholarship that helped me understand the structures of violence in our world. At the time, I was motivated to fight for justice and peace in our world through intellectual means, which led me to pursue a doctorate degree. But as I've gotten older, I've had a growing appreciation for where the intellectual meets the practical lived reality of those living through crisis. While reading and staying critically engaged is important, it also matters to supplement that work with direct action that meets the needs of those experiencing the most hardship. I decided to join "On the Run" as a way to put my values into action. By talking to folks about the issues Partners addresses, I'm able to draw on my knowledge to help others understand why our financial support and solidarity are crucial to helping women and children in war zones survive. While this is a small effort, raising awareness through fundraising can be a valuable tool in building support for those in need."  Warmly,  Aneliza

Why "On the Run"?

The name is more than just a play on words; it is a recognition of a heartbreaking reality. Right now, millions of people around the world are "on the run." They aren't running for fitness or for fun—they are fleeing conflict, escaping violence, and searching for the basic safety that every human being deserves.

When a family is forced to leave their home with nothing but what they can carry, they are "on the run" from a world that has, in many ways, turned its back on them.

It is easy to look away from the headlines. The suffering can feel too vast, the war too relentless. But at Partners, we believe love calls us to respond and that all of our collective efforts to bring hope and support matter. 

Turning Movement into Mission

By joining the On the Run peer-to-peer fundraiser, we are choosing to stand in solidarity with those who are displaced. We are using our freedom of movement to provide support for those whose movement is forced.

Whether you’re running a marathon, walking your neighborhood, or simply dedicating your next yoga session to this cause, you are helping provide:

Emergency relief for families in makeshift shelters.

Trauma care for children who have seen things no child should see.

Education and healthcare in areas where war has stripped everything else away.

Join the Movement

Last year was just the beginning. This year, we’re inviting you to take this journey with us and see how far we can go together.

Whether you're celebrating a birthday, a personal goal, or simply want to stand for peace, we invite you to start your own "On the Run" campaign. Just last week, a group of friends banded together to participate in a local 5k walk, raising over $1,380 for On the Run! [Start Your Page Here] Together, we can ensure that while many remain on the run from conflict, they are never running alone.

War is relentless, but so is the light of our love. Let’s see how far that love can go. Chris Scott, Director of Strategic Engagement

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A Legacy of Love: The Story Behind Frontline Fund

'To love is to act' In honor of Tyler Hoover.

Our son Tyler moved to Southeast Asia after college with the goal of helping Myanmar refugees on the Thai border. He ended up serving with a mission-oriented adventure outfitter company that invested in remote communities in Northern Shan state. Tyler quickly grew fond of the people of Myanmar, and this fondness grew into passion. His heart ached for the persecuted Rohingya and for the countless villagers forced to flee into the jungle or become refugees. 

Tyler used his ties with the US to be a voice for those experiencing injustice, particularly those whose voices are ignored or suppressed. As we learned of the Rohingya genocide and asked how to help, Tyler had an immediate answer: give to Partners.  He resonated with the Partners motto, “to love is to act,” and with their swift, daring response to crises around the globe. It was the very way Tyler himself had always lived. 

With Tyler’s endorsement of Partners, our family found great reward in giving to the organization. His brother even organized a volleyball tournament at his college to raise funds. 

One of Tyler’s dreams was to one day work for Partners, a dream that never came to be. After Tyler’s death at only 29 years old, we received many messages from people who knew him from different avenues of his life. Here are a few quotes that provide a glimpse of who he was and why we would like to honor him with a Frontline Fund.

“I think of this quote when I think of Tyler: ‘There are three things important in this life to be kind, to be kind, to be kind.’ Tyler was such a remarkable soul. So talented, so sweet, so fun. He had skills we only wished we had, yet he was attentive to teach them and help others out.” ~ A healthcare worker in Myanmar.

“I shared [the news of Tyler’s death] on our Instagram, and one of our past clients from Singapore posted this: ‘We’ll never forget this legend of a man with the kindest soul, craziest adventures, and the biggest heart.’ I just love that clients from years ago who we only had for a few days were impacted by Tyler like this.” ~ Tyler’s employer in Myanmar.

"Tyler spent so much of his time caring about others, like the time the power went out, and his immediate response was for us to check on his grandma!”~ One of Tyler's friends.

Tyler is greatly loved and deeply missed in our family. With his quick wit and bright spirit, he was always a catalyst for fun and laughter whenever we were together. We pray that, out of our loss, beauty can arise as children are given hope while their world is falling apart. 

Thank you for reading our story and joining us to support Partners! 

The Hoover Family.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity to respond to the growing needs for food, medicine, and shelter in conflict zones from Myanmar to the Middle East. To honor Tyler’s selfless support of communities impacted by conflict, you can make a gift to the Frontline Fund today.

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Tea in a Warzone

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

We came expecting urgency.

That is often how our work begins. When conflict escalates, we move closer to the uncertainty and to the displacement, because that is where children and families are most at risk. We are used to seeing how quickly war disrupts life: people fleeing with little notice, schools closing, routines breaking apart.

So when tensions in Iran escalated, we arrived prepared.

Prepared to listen. Prepared to respond. Prepared to understand where support might be needed most.

But what we encountered in northern Iraq, in the Kurdistan Region, challenged our assumptions.

At the border, there were no large crowds in distress. No informal settlements taking shape. No visible signs of families in immediate flight. Instead, there was a steady, calm movement of people crossing in both directions.

We spoke with one family heading into Iran. They were not fleeing. They were returning for a visit. They told us that in Kurdish areas across the border, daily life had not been directly affected. They felt safe enough to go back, even temporarily. Safe enough to continue with what felt familiar. It was not what we expected to hear.

Later, as a drone passed by, no one reacted. There was no visible alarm. People continued their conversations. Movement at the border did not stop. The delivery of destruction to somewhere distant passed by almost unnoticed.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

In quiet conversations, local officials shared what many already understood: responding to such moments is not always possible. The risks are complex, and often, the safest course is to carry on. And so life continues beneath that reality.

There is something difficult to reconcile in moments like these. Not the absence of conflict, but its proximity to everyday life. Families travel. Children play. Daily routines persist. At the same time, the presence of conflict is never far away. For us, this raises important questions.

How do we respond in contexts where needs are not immediately visible, but risks remain?

How do we support communities that appear stable, yet may be a brief moment away from crisis?

Not all crises present themselves in the same way. Sometimes they are loud and visible. Like in Lebanon now, where the crisis is 'worsening every hour'. Other times, they are quieter, unfolding just beyond what can be easily seen.

This day, as with any other, we were offered tea. For a moment, everything felt ordinary. And yet, just overhead, reminders of a wider reality continued to pass by. Unseen by some, unspoken by many, but present all the same.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

It is in these spaces, where normalcy and uncertainty exist side by side, that understanding becomes essential. Because even when a crisis is not immediately visible, it does not mean it is not there. It just looks different.

We hold the life-and-death urgency just beyond our sight. The children forced from their homes in Lebanon in recent days—where our partners are currently delivering food—the millions displaced across Syria and Iraq, and the escalating violence throughout the Middle East.

So we finish our tea, gather our things, and move on with plans to head toward communities where families are already facing the full weight of this war, displaced and living in fear. Those plans are now leading us on to Lebanon. In times as complex as these, we are grateful to those who refuse to look away, who join us in responding with love and immediate action.

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A Reflection from Iraq

Students at our Phoenix Learning Center in Domiz Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The overall situation in the Middle East remains concerning. In Iraq, especially, wars and conflicts have already affected people for many years. Many families are still living in displacement camps and face daily hardships. Continued conflicts in neighboring countries are likely to increase their suffering. Life continues, but people closely follow the news and hope that the situation will improve and that these conflicts will end soon.

Minority communities have been particularly affected. For many years, they have faced marginalization, persecution, and ongoing challenges due to the lack of equality, justice, and security in their homeland. In areas that have experienced genocide and severe violence in the past, many people carry deep anxiety and uncertainty about their future. Many still feel that justice has never been achieved.

Students at our Phoenix Learning Center in Domiz Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Children are also deeply affected by these conflicts and wars. Many schools and educational facilities are currently closed, disrupting education. In addition, many children feel scared after hearing their parents and others talk about the current situation in the Middle East and the uncertainty of the future. Although children are influenced by everything happening around them, only a few openly speak about their fears and concerns.

Life has become increasingly difficult for vulnerable people and ordinary families who already struggle to afford basic needs. Inflation has worsened the situation, as fuel and food prices continue to rise, placing additional pressure on families already facing economic hardship.

In disputed regions (like the Nineveh Plain), where minorities live, there is significant uncertainty about the future. For many years, internal and external actors have been involved in these areas, often focusing more on controlling the region rather than rebuilding it. The presence of several armed groups has created additional tension and security concerns for local communities. In Iraq, there is ongoing tension and conflict between American forces and Iranian-backed militias. These groups have targeted key infrastructure, including Iraqi oil fields, hotels, airports, the U.S. embassy and consulate, and military headquarters. In response, the US forces have conducted airstrikes against pro-Iranian factions located in Mosul and other regions across the country.

Student at our Butterfly Learning Center in Chamishko Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. People living in IDP camps in the Kurdistan region are particularly anxious about the current situation. Many fear drones, stray bullets, and nearby military activities. Recently, a woman in one of the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the Duhok region was injured by stray bullets when local forces attempted to shoot down a militia drone that was targeting an oil field near the camp. The shooting continued overnight, causing fear among the camp residents and preventing many families from sleeping.

Many internally displaced people have nowhere else to go. Their homelands remain under the control of militant groups, lack basic services, security, safety, reconstruction and weak government administration, which creates further chaos and uncertainty. While living in IDP camps is already extremely difficult, the current security situation has added even more risks to their lives.

Despite these challenges, people still hope that calmer days will come and that communities and nations will eventually be able to live in peace and safety. I pray that safety and security prevail throughout the world and that justice triumphs.

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When Frontlines Meet Home Front

A Reflection & Update from Doug, Partners’ Chief Operations Officer

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 Last year, we shared a video titled "The War Zone Is Our Workplace." This year, those words have felt more true than ever. Across the Middle East, our staff doesn’t just work in conflict zones - they call them home. The danger is deeply personal. Just yesterday, our Iraq and Syria Director shared that an attack hit down the road from her apartment, while another landed near her children's school.

Despite the proximity of the front lines, our team continues to move toward the need.

Only a few days ago, three staff members returned from Myanmar, where they were delivering food and medicine to those displaced by the intense fighting. They were operating near the front lines and in the vicinity of frequent air strikes. In January, I was in Syria, standing alongside our local staff to distribute food and hygiene supplies to newly displaced families. Most of the people we met had already been forced to flee their homes four times. 

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 War has the same impact on families around the world; it takes their homes and their material possessions, but the real damage is deeper. It forces people into a life of constant uncertainty and daily survival. It’s not just a loss of things; it’s a constant, systemic attack on their sense of self. Yet against that pressure, parents and community members act with selfless love on behalf of their families and each other. In Northeast Syria, hundreds of people opened their homes this year to families fleeing conflict. They invited the “stranger” in, sharing their resources and daily lives. Love calls us to respond with them.

Our mission remains clear across all of the areas where we work: Free, full lives for children affected by conflict and oppression. In a world that feels increasingly heavy, we carry hope. We step into the gap where others can’t go.

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 Iran has known oppression for many years, and now the conflict has spread across the whole region. This is why we are currently seeking ways to support those displaced within Iran, while remaining ready to respond to those who are able to make it out or who are displaced by the fighting in the region.

When we provide relief supplies, we are delivering a much larger message: you are seen, you are prayed for, and you are not alone. That is what it means to be a part of the Partners community.

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Disasters within a Disaster: Thousands Displaced in Northeast Syria 

Photo: Children gather at a Partners' distribution of food packs in Northeast Syria.

“This is a disaster…there is the big picture disaster and then the disasters inside every individual family.”

Little disasters within a major disaster. This is how Shervan, Partners Syria Manager, summed up the unfolding humanitarian crisis for Kurds in Northeast Syria. 

Over the last month, clashes between Kurdish-based forces (the SDF) and the Syrian Military put thousands of families in the crossfire. On Saturday, a tenuous ceasefire between the two groups was extended for 15 days. The UN has reported that over 160,000 people have come through Qamishli, but our team on the ground is hearing estimates closer to 320,00 people. The situation is so volatile that any numbers jump and shift nearly daily. 

The surrounding area is under siege. Roads are blocked, access is limited. To reach Qamishli takes a treacherous journey. Families told our team that along the way, they were interrogated and required to pay bribes to pass safely. For many, it is their third or fourth time being displaced. 

Photo: A mother holds her infant at a school where displaced families are sheltering in Northeast Syria.

“When the siege began, we never thought we would be displaced. We had to quickly pack a bag and jump into our friend's car. We had to leave; we can’t live with extremists. People have been killed and beheaded for being Kurdish.” 

Many pregnant women and young children are among those fleeing. On Monday, we provided cash support to 9 women who are pregnant or have young babies. One is due to give birth this Tuesday. Another is due in ten days. 

A mother, living in an unfinished house, shared, “There is no food, no blankets, no mattresses for us; we have to share with others. Baby formula is our biggest need. My baby doesn’t even have clothes. My community is now scattered across different schools. Everyone has been separated from their original community.”

The atmosphere of fear is palpable. Over the last year, the Kurds have watched violent attacks against other ethnic and religious minorities take place in Syria. They fear that the same situation will unfold after the end of the ceasefire. Reports of the escape of ISIS prisoners only increase their anxiety. 

“Everyone wants to go home. They (the Kurds) feel left alone after all the sacrifices they made to fight ISIS. People don’t want their own country: Alawites, Druze, Kurds. We want to be safe under one Syria.”

Photo: A young boy leans against the wall of an unfinished home where his family has found shelter in Northeast Syria.

Local communities are rallying to help, opening up their homes and cooking meals. But with little international attention or assistance, they simply cannot meet the immense needs alone. 

Snow is on the ground in some areas, and it is bitterly cold with a wind chill that cuts to the bone. Families are living in schools and half-finished buildings without heating, bedding, and food. 

The conditions are brutal. Their stories are not making international news. In the middle of it all, this love-in-action community is listening and responding. Our relief team is on the ground, meeting families and delivering relief. 

Photo: Partners relief team delivering food packs in Northeast Syria.

On Tuesday, 304 people ate dinner and have food for the month ahead, because you rapidly responded so we could rapidly respond.

The world feels heavy right now, crises seem to be in every direction we turn. But we are reminded of the contagion of generosity. The relentlessness of love. 

Photo: A young girl displaced by recent conflict holds a toddler in Northeast Syria.

We can and are reminding families in the thick of crisis that are deeply seen and never forgotten. 

You can help expand our response to reach families here and now by:

Donating. What you give, we’ll distribute. Right now.

Starting a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Bake sales, dance marathons, dinner fundraisers. The creative ideas are endless. 

Spread the word. Amplify these families’ stories so they don’t go unheard. 

Thank you for being the kind of community that runs towards the danger when families are in crisis. Thank you for your relentless refusal to let kids suffer when the adults are fighting. We do this together. #toloveistoact

Give Now.

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#Breaking Surge of Conflict in Syria

Our team reports a new wave of displacement of families to the Qamishli area after a surge of conflict in Syria this weekend.

While a ceasefire has been declared between Kurdish forces and the Syrian military, we are hearing reports of continued skirmishes. We are gravely concerned for the children and families caught in the middle. 

The conflict may be complex, but our calling is not. Where kids are suffering, we will continue to stand alongside communities in Syria doing everything they can to keep their families safe.

Our team is assessing now how we can best respond. As the situation rapidly evolves, please pray for the safety of fleeing families and our team. We will keep you updated as our response unfolds. 

Your rapid response fuels our rapid response.

You can deliver relief supplies into the hands of our team on the ground at:

Donate Now

Help children affected by conflict and oppression in Syria live free, full lives.

Your gift provides live-saving relief in times of crisis and helps rebuild communities ripped apart by war.

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Yong

She’s from Shan State, Myanmar. She couldn’t find work, so at 18, she moved by herself to Thailand. She found work at a Noodle Shop and immediately realized that her joy of obtaining a job was quickly dashed by the inability to speak the local language. “I didn’t know how to respond. Sometimes, customers wrote their orders in Thai, but I couldn’t read them.”

Language for Yong This ambitious young woman saw a Thai language course for migrants on Facebook and applied. She was accepted and, “After studying Thai at SEED for six months, my life changed. I no longer have to wash dishes, and my salary has increased. I feel so grateful to SEED for accepting me into the class and for being patient with me.” 

The efforts and success are hers, the opportunity is created by people like you who give to support SEED, a Partners-supported educational program where migrants in Thailand can gain the gift of language and education, when circumstances often hold these things out of reach. 

$100 gives a youth living as a migrant in Thailand, the gift of language and education, opening up doors that are typically closed.

Children, youth, families and communities ask for education. Absolutely. We all watch the transformations from barely surviving, to places of thriving when the educational-light begins to glimmer, and whole communities start believing that there’s still hope. The power of reading, the opportunities of language—children thriving.

Thank you for caring for the Yong's in the world, for extending a hand, and a language, that allow for new seasons that look a lot more like thriving!!

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Creating Safe Spaces in Northeast Syria

Violent. Al-Hol Camp, in Northeast Syria. It’s a refugee camp AND a prison. In roughly one square mile of desert, over 28,400 people, mostly wives, widows, and children of refugees, are detained. 65% children.

Little Aliye* goes to the safe space. She’s lived in Al-Hol for nearly all of the 8 years of her life. Her mother is a team member at the Partners child-friendly space. Each morning, Aliye goes to school, and each afternoon she comes to the safe space to play, learn with friends, and feel a sense of security that is absent elsewhere in the camp.

A local team member shared, “Violence rates are increasing—physical and sexual violence from child-to-child. The team is doing their best to respond to this terrible phenomenon. We are very committed to delivering sessions to children—we do it through song and video. We are trying to spread awareness early so that the next generation is more aware of this matter. This means we work to overcome shyness and the idea of shame, and become more aware of this issue.”  

Without the space, Aliye’s days would be spent in her family tent, with her mother, six sisters, one brother, and a lonesome fan—with temperatures fluctuating between 122-131°F in the summer and 23°F in the winter. Instead, she’s experiencing hope and love in the form of laughter, safety, music, saturated color, honest conversations, and emergency healthcare. Your regular support ensures continued trauma healing in Partners child safe space, emergency aid availability at the only 24-hour medical clinic, and support for the compassionate local team, which all help stabilize this frightening place, which is significant when children mostly do as they please—missing out on education, leaving them vulnerable to extremist ideology.

“We have a session where we ask, What do you want to be when you grow up. One of the children said, ‘I want to become a three-wheeler driver’. He said this because he is very attached to his father, and this is his father’s skill. Every child has an aspiration for the future, but then they say, ‘only if we were not living in the camp. ’ Most of the boys want to become football players. They ask me, Do you know David Beckham? The girls are passionate about different things; some want to be tailors.” 

All want to be safe and unafraid. Let’s stay and make that a reality.

*Pseudonym used to protect identity.

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UPDATE New Aid Cuts Along Thai-Myanmar Border

Continued aid cuts that went into effect on July 31, 2025, in refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are making life increasingly difficult for thousands of people. Here is what you need to know about the current situation of migrant families in this region, from a team member on the ground. 

“Living in a refugee camp comes with many challenges. These families have been displaced from their home country due to a prolonged civil war. Myanmar continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis that deserves global attention.  This is what refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border are experiencing today, including limited access to education, reduced food supplies, and the complete cut of healthcare aid.

Education. 

Since the withdrawal of USAID from many foreign countries, refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border have experienced significant setbacks in education. In the past, USAID provided learning materials and essential school supplies, helping many children receive an education. With this support withdrawn, many students who relied entirely on aid can no longer attend school. Families in the camps often have no income and depend solely on assistance, which means that the once-available free education is now out of reach for many children. Many students cannot continue their education, and opportunities to study outside the camps have become even more limited.

Students at Mae La Refugee Camp, Thai-Myanmar border, February 2024.

‘With this support withdrawn, many students who relied entirely on aid can no longer attend school.’

Food

With the reduction in aid, many families are struggling to meet their basic nutritional needs. Previously, refugees received more than 100 Thai baht (per family member each month. At the end of July, this support was completely cut. With limited options within the camps and no legal opportunities to work outside the camps, families are unable to replace the loss of this support. 

Food preparation at Mae La Refugee Camp, Thai-Myanmar border, February 2024.

‘Food prices are rising, and many families are facing serious food shortages.’

Healthcare

Health is one of the most basic human needs, but many refugees are unable to afford proper care. In earlier years, aid helped cover basic health needs, providing some relief for families. Since the USAID cuts, many now face even greater struggles in accessing treatment. For those who could not afford healthcare even when aid was available, the situation has worsened. Many families are deeply concerned about the lack of future support for medical needs.”

Community Health activities on the Thai-Myanmar border, August 2024.

For over 30 years, this community has stood in the gap on behalf of families living along the Thailand-Myanmar border seeking safety and freedom for their children. 

Our efforts to reach families on the fringes with healthcare, education, and personalized care will continue. 

A gift of $90 provides 5 migrants with a guide and translator through the Thai medical system, covering costs for medicine and care. 

Five loved ones. A grandmother. A brother. A best friend.

We stay, with love. 

To stay with us, and them:

Donate to Partners Relief & Development

Help children affected by conflict and oppression live free, full lives.

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Three women and a newborn.

Photo: Eh Ka Pu Moo with her father, grandmother and older brother.

Moo Blut Paw is a community health worker. She completed her medic training at Naw Po Refugee camp in 2024. She used to work at a clinic Partners funds, and now works at a clinic that is a 2 minute motorbike ride away from a pregnant mother named Naw Law Eh Wah. Naw Law Eh Wah is a 29 year old mother of a curious and quiet 3 year old boy, and is pregnant with her second child. Reserved and soft-spoken, this gentle mother thoughtfully prepared for the birth of her baby knowing that she would deliver at home. Local hospitals are targeted locations by the junta and military government, and community members don’t dare go unless they have a life-threatening emergency. 

On February 16, 2025, Eh Wah’s normal pregnancy slipped quickly into a terrifying delivery as they discovered a stuck placenta. She started bleeding internally. She took that 2 minute motorbike ride to the closest clinic, but it was too late.

That day, a healthy beautiful girl, Eh Ka Pu Moo, was born. Her mother died. This newborn had no mother to nurse her. No mother to carefully wash her tiny body. No mother to wrap up and safely carry her during the months of life when she is too small to walk. The newborn’s hunger set our resourceful young community health worker into action and she reached out to a Partners’ staff member and asked for help. 

Photo: A Partners staff member delivering all the supplies needed to help Eh Ka Pu Moo’s family care for her.

We quickly met them with baby clothes, baby wraps, milk bottles and a 4-month supply of baby formula, with a commitment to deliver more to the family until this little one no longer needs it.

It’s easy to imagine that giving is fueling an organization–albeit–one that does worthy work; yet what we’d like you to know is that giving is feeding a tiny motherless child. It’s providing a local clinic to run to, the arms of a community health worker to care for a motherless child in her first days of life, who is checking in on her regularly, and responding to calls of ‘help’ any time they come. 

Today this newborn and her toddler brother are being cared for by their grandmother, while their 22-year-old father farms. Still gripped with the kind of sadness a mother feels when she loses a child, this loving grandmother is trying hard to fill the gap her daughter left. 

Photos: Eh Ka Pu Moo in the arms of her grandmother (left) and with Moo Blut Paw, the community health worker who reached out to Partners for help (right).

The context of war zones—the complexity and danger—make living in areas of conflict a staggering challenge. It changes what it means to have a baby and lose a mother and wife.

We are all partners, and Partners. We’re close enough to hear the calls for help. To respond with love-in-action. 

Because we’re there. Because you’re giving.

Babies will be fed. Community health workers will be trained. Clinics will stay stocked. Opened and staffed.

You’re helping fathers, grandmothers, and newborns like Eh Ka Pu Moo, breathe a sigh of relief this summer. 

Donate and have your gift matched here.

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Help children like Saw Eh Taena breathe a sigh of relief this summer.

Myanmar is at war, still, and very little is going right. Summer rains bring flooding and increased risk of illnesses. Civil war has eaten up the country’s budget, bringing the health system to its knees. There’s fighting almost everywhere. Even getting around is difficult; help might be a day away by truck, bike, or boat during the rainy season.

Then, the earthquake in March caused massive infrastructure damage and became an opportunity for the military government to further harm communities in regions they want to control.

15 year old Saw Eh Taena lives here. He has asthma and when he gets sick, he can’t breathe properly. Anyone that has ever watched a child gasp for air knows—it’s frightening.

What’s worse is when there’s no hospital to go to for treatment. For remote communities like his, medical care can be days away and only reached by foot. Because wars steal kid’s access to healthcare, Partners supports local clinics and health workers in these hard-to-reach places.

“I have been to this clinic many times,” Saw Eh Taena shared outside a Partners-funded clinic. Each time, health workers had the medicine to treat him and vigilantly monitored him when his symptoms were so bad he needed to stay through the night. Today, “the attacks are basically gone”, he said. It’s your love-in-action that stocks medicine cabinets and trains the health workers that make this life-saving work possible.

Photo: The clinic where Saw Eh Taena found help for his asthma in Karen State, Myanmar.

But good health isn’t all that’s stolen. When it comes to education, even before the earthquake, approximately 3.7 million children in Myanmar didn’t have access. As kids are recruited for fighting and schools are attacked, it’s clear that wars disrupt learning.

“Because of the conflict, I have to study in the jungle. When the jets fly over, children cry, and the teachers find it hard to care for all of them. Children sit on the ground, with not enough notebooks and pens”, said Saw Eh Taena. His mother is like most parents in war zones; she believes education is the key to giving her child a future beyond the violence and poverty they are experiencing; a life defined by more opportunities and dreams fulfilled.

"When the jets fly over, children cry, and the teachers find it hard to care for all of them."

The children who remain determined to attend these hidden schools are the reason that your love-in-action is more vital than ever—strengthening their schools by providing essential learning supplies and providing support for safe boarding homes where students displaced by fighting can continue their studies.

Wars also strangle economies and livelihoods. They make it harder for parents to put food on the table for their kids. “We don’t have time to grow rice or vegetables. The transportation of goods is difficult, so the price of food goes up significantly, especially during the rainy season.” Love-in-action delivers bags of rice to communities like Saw Eh Taena’s when all other avenues of keeping children fed are exhausted.

“I feel hopeless in this situation...I can’t learn in this environment. I feel like I am not free.”

Photo: Medicine supplies are running low at many clinics.

Through the summer, more brave team members will deliver what war has strangled, disrupted, and stolen from children caught in the crossfire. It’s the same love-in-action that has been at work in war zones since 1994, partnering with local networks to get help where others can’t so that kids like Saw Eh Taena aren’t robbed of the joy of good health, the freedom of a full education, and the satisfaction of having enough to eat.

We are grateful for a generous supporter who has offered a $25,000 Summer Match Challenge, making it possible to help even more children, like Saw Eh Taena.

As the days get longer,—as global support for relief and development is on the decline—we encourage you to consider sharing the warmth of your summer with Saw Eh Taena and other children who grow up in conflict zones. You can rest assured knowing that when you give, you gift will be matched for double the impact, meaning even more kids will receive critical medical care, access to life-altering education, and the sustenance they need to learn and play.

They’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Donate and have your gift matched here.

[partnersrelief]

A Torch of Hope for Displaced Families

Amidst the fall of the Assad Regime in December 2024, a monumental moment in Syrian history was also marked by another historical moment in the Kurdish territory. Displacement in Northeast Syria is back at record-breaking numbers. Many families, individuals and minorities have fled to the Kurdish territory of Syria. But through the violence and persecution families have endured, one undeniable truth has emerged: the resilience of children displaced by war.

The Silent Suffering of Families.

The number of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in northeast Syria has reached an alarming scale, with thousands of families forced to leave their homes, primarily from Afrin. Many of these families sought refuge in Sahba, south of Aleppo, during the civil war that began in 2011. Now these families have been displaced once again due to the ongoing conflict. Families are living in makeshift shelters, abandoned buildings, and repurposed schools. Resources are stretched thin, with little to no support from international humanitarian organizations. Families struggle to stay warm in overcrowded shelters.

As our relief team visited one of the shelters, the air was thick with the smell of burning plastic – a seemingly desperate line of defense against the freezing temperatures. Hygiene facilities are inadequate or non-existent.

While host communities have done their best to step in by cooking meals for the displaced, the thousands of people arriving mean more food support is needed than they alone can provide. Parents who have fought tirelessly for their children’s well-being are exhausted, left hoping that someone will stand alongside them to keep them safe, healthy, and in school.

The Weight of Trauma

No matter where it happens, war steals childhoods. Many children have witnessed atrocities beyond comprehension. In an abandoned regime military housing complex, where over 3,000 families are now taking refuge, a mother recounted to us how her two sons had been injured by mortar strikes when they were living in Sahba. Some watched as loved ones were executed, while others recall harrowing escapes through war-torn landscapes.

In Raqqa, a 14-year-old boy named Said told us his family was forced to flee Sahba with nothing but the clothes on their backs. “I don’t know why we had to leave,” he said. “They just wanted our land.” His family endured freezing nights on the roadside during their journey to Raqqa, and though they had found shelter in a school that Partners had previously helped rebuild, they were struggling to stay warm. “It’s so cold,” Said whispered, his voice reflecting the hardship he had endured.

Children a Symbol of Resilience

Despite these dire circumstances, children continue to be the unwavering torchbearers of hope.

The schools that have been repurposed into shelters still echo with the sounds of young voices playing. In a repurposed school just outside of the city of Qamishli, where 96 now reside, hanging on to hope, children climb atop water trucks to play, momentarily escaping the weight of displacement.

In Raqqa, groups of children chase each other around schoolyards, creating makeshift goals out of rocks and kicking a deflated football that they found when they moved into the premises. Their laughter, a stark contrast to the grief their parents carry.

Their spirits refuse to be broken, and they continue to find joy - even as they live in grave uncertainty.

Carrying the Torch

While governments turn a blind eye and larger international organizations hesitate, children in Northeast Syria continue to remind the world of the urgency of their situation. They embody a future that is not yet lost, a group of people that refuse to be erased. Their perseverance when faced with immense hardship is a testament to the resilience of the Syrian spirit.

Even in displacement, even in suffering, these children are the light that refuses to be extinguished.

Written by a Partners team member while on the ground in Syria in December 2024.

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The Pain We All Share

Photo: An empty classroom at an education center in Afghanistan.

This past February, Partners team members traveled to Afghanistan to visit an education center we work alongside. 

“This is the pain we all share,” commented a teacher at the education center. She was referring to the plight of women in Afghanistan, particularly the laws banning women and girls from attending school beyond 6th grade. 

The Independent described these restrictions succinctly in this headline “Can’t work, sing, travel, study: All the ways the Taliban are restricting lives of women in Afghanistan” 

Photo: A flurry of activity in the middle of a town in Afghanistan.

Resilience is not only present—it is deeply rooted and unwavering.

From an outsider's perspective, the narrative around women's education in Afghanistan may seem overwhelming, leaving little hope for a way forward. However, after our team met and listened to 28 women at the center, it became clear that resilience is not only present—it is deeply rooted and unwavering.

They shared with our team some of the reasons why they wanted to study and their hopes for the future:

Despite the restrictions, girls hope to further their studies to become doctors and teachers. 

Some see studying English as a way out of their current situation of boredom and oppression caused by the restrictions. 

Others see learning English as a way to access English-based online education courses or to help other women do the same.

Photo: A view of a village at the base of the mountains in Afghanistan.

The women are incredibly passionate about education and determined to continue. One of the students said, “We are living in a very dark place, but we are waiting for a light,” while one of the female teachers described the school as “like a bright light in the darkness.”

While sitting with their words, praying, and hoping for change alongside them, I can’t help but feel they are the light in the darkness.

Their determination, even in the face of overwhelming hardship, is something we could all learn from. 

Even in the dangers of conflict, Partners is standing with these women, supporting them to be lights of hope in their communities.

Stand with them. 

[partnersrelief]

#BREAKING Earthquake in Myanmar

Photo: AFP via Getty Images, showing the extensive damage from the earthquake.

Earlier today, a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the heart of Saigang and Mandalay in Myanmar. The impact was felt as far as Thailand, with our team reporting significant tremors and mild damage to our KGED center in Mae Sot.

In Myanmar, tremors were felt across several towns, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Kyaukse, Pyin Oo Lwin, and Shwebo in upper Myanmar. According to our Shan team member, the impact was also felt significantly across Shan State. 

Early reports from the Mandalay area have catalogued the collapse of bridges, temples, and high-rise buildings. Hospitals in Mandalay are being inundated with survivors, with some receiving treatment on the street due to the overflow of patients. 

The full scale of the damage and the number of deaths is still unclear. More than 140 deaths have been reported thus far, and the death toll continues to rise. Given the ongoing civil war in Myanmar and the junta’s often limited transparency, information about the full extent may be limited.

Our local partners near Taunggyi, southeast of Mandalay, are assessing the immediate and most urgent needs. Our relief team is rapidly mobilizing and will arrive in the country tomorrow to help with the assessment and immediate crisis response. 

Before the earthquake left the country in tremors, Myanmar was already in the middle of a dire humanitarian crisis. According to OCHA, one-third of the population and 6.3 million children require humanitarian assistance. 

This is our lane: rapid relief for kids and families in times of crisis. 

We’ll be responding in the hard-to-reach places, meeting the needs of those who might otherwise fall through the gaps. 

We'll be sharing updates as our crisis response unfolds in the days ahead. Please stay with us as we stay with them. 

To fuel our team’s response on the ground, visit https://prtns.co/earthquake.

Your gift will go directly to meet the needs of these kids and families.

Donate Now

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Sittwe: A Ticking Time Bomb in Myanmar

Photo: Rohingya children in Sittwe, Myanmar after Cyclone Mocha ripped through the community in 2023.

If we told you about a community of refugees, where over half a million of the population are children, what community comes to your mind? 

Don’t worry, this isn’t a trick question. With so many children affected by conflict and oppression around the world, it’s gut wrenching how quickly it takes to think of one. 

But what if we told you that the community we’re referring to, this time, is one of the most persecuted minorities in the world? 

If you answered Rohingya, you’d be correct. 

The stateless Muslim minority group has been subjected to grave human rights abuses by Myanmar authorities for decades. Violence in September 2017 forced an additional 890,000 to flee to Bangladesh, leaving them in an extremely vulnerable state. There are still over 150,000 displaced in Myanmar with limited freedom of movement or access to food, water, sanitation, healthcare and education. 

Especially in Sittwe. 

These are 6 pressing updates you should know about Sittwe’s escalation of violence:

The Arakan Army (AA) announced they now controlled the border township of Maungdaw in northern Rakhine State on December 8, 2024. This gave them control of the entire border area between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Fear continues to increase within the Rohingya community in Sittwe as the AA nears the capital. Intense fighting has erupted in the surrounding areas, and the Myanmar Military has increased security in the area.

The checkpoints inside the nearby camps have increased, and the Rohingya are forced to pay money to cross them, sometimes experiencing looting, the checking of their phones, and are often beaten without any reason. In the village where Partners’ adult school is located, people are not allowed to cross the checkpoints after 6 pm, so the class is now being conducted during the day.

People are trying to leave the town by boat. One of the unregistered Rohingya communities we support with monthly rice distributions had a leader arrested and accused of receiving money from people in his neighborhood who were leaving by boat. We heard that he was tortured very badly and not given food for days, before being released. 

In January, all village administrators in the camps area were told to provide young men for conscription. Those who refused were threatened with their villages being burned down. Additionally, people, including young boys aged 13-15, were being randomly arrested. In one seaside community, we occasionally support, the military arrested 70 people for conscription, with over 20 of them being underage. Parents had to pay money to release these young boys. 

The internet connection in Sittwe is almost completely down, and mobile services have been largely cut off outside of small pockets of connection in the downtown area. 

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 displaced Rohingya sheltering at a camp in Rakhine’s Pauktaw township are in urgent need of food after not receiving aid for more than a year, according to Radio Free Asia. 

Last week, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced devastating cuts to food support in Myanmar. The cuts will impact almost 100,000 internally displaced people in central Rakhine who will have no access to food without WFP assistance, including Rohingya communities in camps. 

“Overall, the situation in Sittwe has become very tense. I would personally describe it as a ticking time bomb, with people unsure of when it might explode.” - Partners team member

We’ve been working alongside the Rohingya since 2012. Over that time and to this day, our team has been responding to the ongoing critical needs of displaced and oppressed Rohingya communities, as well as empowering them through sustainable health and education initiatives.

You can help fuel our ongoing response providing emergency relief and establishing access to healthcare and education for refugees in Bangladesh and displaced families who are suffering extreme persecution in Myanmar.

Deliver Relief Today

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The Elephant Caretaker's Son

Some stories are hard to live—this is one.

But the hard isn’t where it ends.

Saw Be Bay is a young man with perseverance. He was a boy with perseverance too. He has lived a life that wasn’t always easy, but also wasn’t always so hard. As a kid, his father was an elephant caretaker in their village, and his mother and 5 siblings kept life lively. 

Then came at least 3 moments in Saw Be Bay’s life; pivots, story-markers, where life changed—never to return to anything that it formerly was. 

1. At 5 years, old his mother died.

2. After finishing the 4th grade, Saw Be Bay’s village school no longer offered education. So at 11 years old, he moved to a neighboring village, lived with his uncle and his uncle’s three children, and continued going to school. Separated from his immediate family, he worked hard at his education. He also took on farming and fishing to help his uncle’s humble household. 

One rainy night, life got harder. 

While out fishing, Saw Be Bay slipped and fell on a large rock. Hard. He was in so much pain, but he knew he had to get himself back to his uncle’s house. When he reached home, he told his uncle what had happened, but not how much pain he was in. He hid how hard it was to walk. Over time, the pain began to lessen so he tried to play cane ball, football and go fishing as usual. But the pain, and even a sickness associated with it, reappeared. Even so, he received no proper treatment.

Over the next 10 years the pain became so unbearable, he could no longer walk.

3. The Myanmar military dropped a bomb near his village. Everyone ran, but Saw Be Bay could not. Terrified, he crawled on his belly to hide in a bush, believing he would die.

But he didn’t.

Like so often during times of suffering, dawn comes just after the darkest night. His schoolmistress introduced him to a Partners staff member who was traveling in the area. Together they came up with a plan. Partners staff took him to the hospital and paid for an initial diagnostic test. They helped Saw Be Bay submit that test to Burma Children Medical Fund, and his case was accepted. The surgery that he needed was going to be paid for by BCMF, but that’s not the end of the story.

The same perseverance and internal grit that Saw Be Bay had shown in his childhood was what he showed as he went through a difficult surgery and five months of treatment. 

Partners' Patient Care team took him to the hospital, provided food and hygiene items, and supported him throughout his treatment. They also made sure he had a place to stay—in a patient house provided by a friend—so he could be taken care of while he got better.

It wasn’t a magic wand. It wasn’t a quick fix. It was the heart of a young man, a local community who showed up day-after-day, and a community of generous people who stopped, saw, and responded to his needs.

Saw Be Bay didn’t stop. He didn’t die. He pushed through the hard times and life-pivots. He returned to his village—now able to walk without pain—not even feeling the aches and constant fevers like before.

Health is something we often take for granted until it's gone—then it becomes the only thing we can focus on, consuming all our attention and energy. Now, no longer in a state of physical suffering, Saw Be Bay has begun to imagine a different kind of life. His experience and healing have revealed a dream of one day serving his community as a medical professional. He hopes to live the rest of his life helping others who are suffering.

If you’re moved to help a child in need of medical care and be part of a transformative story like Saw Be Bay’s, you can support Partners Patient Care project by making a donation here.