Rania is a Christian woman from northern Iraq. Growing up as a Christian in a Muslim-majority country was not easy. Rania says that her life was full of fear, and very lonely. Watch the story of how she escaped the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and how Barnabas Aid has helped her.
Why is life difficult for Christians in Iraq?
More than a decade ago, ISIS took over Iraq and Syria. Their motive was to enforce strict sharia law, and to eradicate or subjugate Christianity in the region.
“They destroyed the churches,” says Rania. “They were after the Christians, and especially those who did not wear a hijab.”
When the rocket landed in her garden, Rania feared for her life (image produced during filming from re-enactment)
Why did Rania decide to flee Iraq?
One day, when Rania was gardening at home, a rocket landed in front of her. As she is disabled, she cannot run properly, so she was terrified. However, that day, she says that God granted her the strength to run to her house to hide.
Thankfully, the rocket was part of one which had already exploded in the air.
That was the day she decided to flee Iraq.
“I could not live in that fear anymore,” recalls Rania. “I was terrified and had sleepless nights. So I prayed to God, and He guided, and led me to Jordan.”
Churches opened their doors to the refugees fleeing to Jordan from conflict and persecution in their home countries
What is life like for Christians in Jordan?
Jordan is a biblically-significant country in the Middle East. It contains the river where Jesus was baptised. Christians are free to live their faith in Jordan, and in recent years it has become a haven for refugees seeking a new life.
Millions of refugees have fled their home countries and gone to Jordan: in a country of 11 million people, there are up to three million refugees. Churches have done their best to help, opening up their doors to the refugees and taking up the biblical mandate to help those in need. But their resources are limited, and it quickly became evident that Jordan was facing a hunger crisis.
How did Barnabas Aid help?
Barnabas Aid has been working in Jordan for a long time. When we heard about the food crisis there, we knew that we urgently needed to help.
A few years ago, Barnabas set up a project called food.gives, which acts as an international food bank for Christians. We regularly collect food boxes from our generous supporters, and ship them to needy believers all over the world. Through this project, we have provided millions of servings to those who would otherwise have gone hungry.
Barnabas Aid used this food.gives project to assist the Christians struggling in Jordan. We sent 90 tonnes of food aid, to help decrease the burden on local churches who had been striving to care for the refugees.
Rania was one of the many recipients of the aid sent by food.gives.
Barnabas Aid sent 90 tonnes of food aid to Jordan through food.gives, to help combat their growing hunger crisis. Rania was one of the recipients
What is Rania’s perspective on the help she has been given?
Rania knows that the food sent to her from other Christians was a practical demonstration of Jesus’ love. She knows that He is the one who has been helping her, as he helps all of us.
“Jesus came to save humanity: the people on Earth. He died on the cross, and made the sacrifice so we can be saved.”
We agree with Rania. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and showed us unconditional love. That compassion is integral to our faith. What a blessing it is that there are avenues through which we get to show Christian love to people like Rania.
What will Rania do next?
Rania is waiting for a visa to go to Australia and unite with her brother’s family. In the meantime, she is thankful to be in Jordan where she can freely practice her faith.
“In Iraq, you could get kidnapped or killed if you told that you were a believer. But here, I can proudly say that I am a Christian.”
How can you help suffering Christians like Rania?
Hunger is a big problem worldwide. According to the World Food Programme, as many as 309 million people are currently facing chronic hunger. Many of these are Christians. Barnabas Aid stands by ready to help.In 2024 alone, food.gives provided more than 5.2 million servings to hungry Christians around the world. We hope to continue this trend, but can only do so with the assistance of our generous supporters.
Would you like to help provide food to Christians in need? There are many ways you can get involved with food.gives. To find out more, head to the food.gives webpage.
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Pray with us
Please take a moment to remember Christians like Rania in your prayers. Here are a few prayer points you may find helpful:
- We pray for Rania, that her life will continue to improve and she will find somewhere to settle where she can freely live her faith
- We remember all Iraqi Christians, both those in Iraq and those living as refugees. We ask God to watch over them and keep them safe from persecution and attack.
- We ask the Lord to protect all the Christians who have had to flee their homeland because of their faith, that they will find safety and peace.
- We give thanks that we have been able to help Rania and others in Jordan through food.gives. We pray that the situation there improves, and that all will have enough food.
- We ask God to fill the bellies of all the hungry Christians, and pray that He will continue to use Barnabas Aid to do this.
