Thursday, October 13, 2016

Preemptive Love

Is it possible to think it's a bad idea to bring Muslim refugees here to the United States, but nevertheless want to help them in their hour of need? Is it possible to help them where they are? I've written before about an organization called Preemptive Love that's doing precisely that. These folks are doing amazing work among refugees in Iraq, and if you're looking for a way to help desperate people caught in the hell that ISIS has created you'll want to check them out.

They've recently sent out a summary of what they've accomplished in just the last two months, and it really is remarkable. Actually, considering the conditions under which they work, it's astonishing:
OCTOBER 8: We reached 1,000 families in newly liberated villages outside Mosul, providing hygiene supplies and educational information. A team of 10 local doctors and medical students offered vital health education to displaced families.

OCTOBER 6: Our team distributed food to 800 families in newly liberated villages on the outskirts of Mosul. ISIS launched mortar attacks in the vicinity, but thankfully our food distribution was not impacted.

SEPTEMBER 23: Preemptive Love was the first group to reach the town of Al-Shirqat after it was liberated from ISIS on September 22. We provided 100,000 pounds of food for 12,000 people, along with 1,000 family hygiene kits.

SEPTEMBER 12: We set up a medical tent at a security checkpoint south of Mosul. Many of the refugees who reach this checkpoint are suffering dehydration and hunger. Some have been tortured by ISIS and require urgent medical care. Our team is providing medicine and supplies, treating 12-80 people every day.

SEPTEMBER 8: Today our team traveled along the front lines to deliver food to 200 newly liberated families from the town of Qayyarah, about 40 miles south of Mosul.

AUGUST 31: Preemptive Love set up tents and bathrooms for fleeing families at a busy checkpoint in the Mosul corridor. Previously, families had no place to escape the desert heat while waiting—often hours or days—to be cleared by security. They had nowhere to go the bathroom in privacy and dignity. These tents and bathrooms will serve 30,000 people in the coming weeks.

AUGUST 25: We delivered wheelchairs and crutches to disabled children and elderly refugees fleeing the Mosul corridor.

AUGUST 19: Our team rushed medical aid to a refugee center near Tikrit, halfway between Mosul and Baghdad, hours after it was hit by an ISIS mortar attack, killing 13 and injuring dozens.

AUGUST 14-18: We employed local welders to install 10 water tanks in three communities along the Mosul corridor where displaced families have settled. The tanks were connected to municipal water supplies, ensuring a constant, sustainable source of water for those who fled.
It's expected that the Iraqi forces will within the next couple of weeks be launching a massive assault on Mosul, ISIS' last stronghold in Iraq. When they do the humanitarian need will no doubt be enormous. If you'd like to help you can learn how at the link.