Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse Work at Syrian Refugee Camps to Be Featured on 'Fox Files'
Franklin Graham and his missionary organization Samaritan's Purse will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Fox Files," which will take a look at Syrian refugee camps in Iraq and the important work being done to help the suffering people there.
Samaritan's Purse said that millions have fled the civil war-torn country, where over 100,000 people have been killed, according to U.N. statistics. Refugees have spread across neighboring countries, many in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
"Samaritan's Purse has rushed to the aid of these desperate people by providing them with food, blankets, diapers, shoes, warm winter coats, and kerosene heaters," the organization said. "In one camp, we also started a sewing project and built a playground and soccer field for the children."
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The "Fox Files" episode, featuring FOX News Channel's Greta Van Susteren, will air on Sunday at 9:00PM/ET.
Graham and Van Susteren visited the refugee camp in December, where Samaritan's Purse is helping Syrians meet their basic needs. In one account, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham shared the story of a 90-year-old woman living in a tent with her daughter, who needed to borrow a heater to try to stay warm.
"I thought to myself, my father is 95 years old. Could I imagine trying to care for my father, in a tent like this, sleeping on the floor in the rain and the cold?" Graham said, revealing that his organization provided 2,000 heaters for the camp to help the refugees in the cold winter.
"The families that have received them have been extremely grateful as it has dropped close to freezing here almost every night," said one Samaritan's Purse staff member working in Iraq.
Last month, the organization also airlifted 65,000 shoe boxes to Syrian children in the refugee camps.
Van Susteren has previously accompanied Graham on several other missionary trips, and has reported on Samaritan's Purse work in North Korea, South Sudan, Haiti, and Alaska.
Syrian families have been caught in the middle of the ongoing civil war between forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad and rebel groups seeking to remove him from power. Although the U.N. and the U.S. have led efforts and hosted a conference seeking to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the talks have not progressed far and a possible end to the war still remains a distant possibility.
"One refugee we spoke to claimed that some Islamic militants threatened to kill him, his wife, and their six children, which caused the family to flee," a Samaritan's Purse staff member has said. "They hope to return to their home in Syria one day soon but not until the situation in their country stabilizes."
On her blog previewing Sunday's "Fox Files" episode, Van Susteren writes:
"You know that my biggest enjoyment of my job is to take you to places. This Sunday – at 9pm – you go to a refugee camp in Iraq – where thousands of Syrians have fled in desperation. It is cold (winter) and they are afraid. They have no idea what is going to happen to them. And here is even more bad news – more refugees are expected (thousands and thousands) in this next year."
Samaritan's Purse is also accepting donations that will allow it to continue providing refugees with much needed necessities.
