Many Christians in the Middle East, Asia and Africa live in desperate poverty, struggling even to have enough to eat. This can be because of anti-Christian discrimination leading to chronic poverty and economic disadvantage, such as in North Africa or Pakistan. It can be caused by general conflict, war and violence, for example, in Darfur, Sudan, where Christians are amongst the African Sudanese being targeted by the Arab-Islamic Sudanese government. It can be caused by specifically anti-Christian violence, as is happening now in Iraq.

Barnabas Aid works through local churches or other Christian organisations on the ground to provide food for the neediest Christian families. Costs and amounts vary from place to place and as situations change over time, but a typical cost for a monthly food parcel for an average family is £15 (US$25) that is just 50p (US$0.8) a day.