Annual Report 2025

Standing in the Gap for Those in Crisis

In fiscal year 2025, global crises intensified as critical support systems were broken down. New policies blocked assistance for our most vulnerable immigrant neighbors in the U.S. and gutted humanitarian aid globally. People fleeing crises and living amid fragility were put in even greater danger. But faithful followers of Jesus boldly stepped into the gap.

Because of the generosity of people like you, we kept meeting urgent needs, saving lives and helping people forced to flee find safety.

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Standing in the Gap

United States

In a year of major disruptions to U.S. immigration policy, including the virtual halt of refugee resettlement, you put faith into action by standing with refugees and immigrants nationwide. When refugees abruptly lost promised resettlement support in January 2025, you stepped in — keeping lights on and families fed. As new policies targeted vulnerable communities, you continued meeting holistic needs through legal aid, English classes, job training, mental health counseling and more. Together, we linked arms with churches and volunteers to welcome newcomers and build a strong foundation for belonging.

Yousaf's Story

After fleeing the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Yousaf, his wife and their two young sons were welcomed into the U.S. on Jan. 14, 2025. They felt overjoyed. "We just went out from the dark night and entered the sunlight," Yousaf said. But days after their arrival, new executive orders made their future uncertain. Funding for their first 90-days — money to cover groceries, rent and more — was paused.

3,902 refugees received urgent aid when executive orders froze funding

94% of those enrolled in World Relief employment programs retained their jobs after 3 months

3.5K+ immigrants participated in English classes

2,093 green cards, 1,504 work permits & 58 asylum statuses secured

Meeting Ongoing Needs

Now more than ever, we rely on you to stand together with our immigrant neighbors. While fewer refugees are being resettled in the U.S., we continue to walk with thousands of immigrant families already on their journey toward belonging. Together, we can show them they are wanted and build communities where immigrant families flourish.

The Pilgrim Foundation generously provided vital financial support to newly arrived families through the Stand in the Gap campaign.

"When I was in middle school, our church sponsored a family from Vietnam. Without support, it would have been nearly impossible for this father to care for his family. Now, two generations later, this family is thriving. As the government restricts more and more support, the financial need will fall on us … Over and over, my peers agree that World Relief is exceptional in the resettlement field. [They] truly want this mission to grow as the Lord would have it."

— Suzanne Daniel, Pilgrim Foundation

Standing in the Gap

Internationally

Massive cuts to foreign assistance created devastating ripple effects around the world — disrupting networks of care that vulnerable people depend on. But together, we did not stop walking alongside the hurting and displaced. Instead, we bolstered our efforts, even expanding programming in places like Sudan, where 30.4 million people were in urgent need of lifesaving assistance. With your support, we partnered with global churches and communities to ensure those in need found health and safety, grew in resilience and moved forward on the journey toward flourishing, even amid crises.

Amina's Story

We met Amina and her infant son in Geneina, western Sudan, where World Relief operates one of the last remaining health and nutrition centers. When asked what she had eaten during her pregnancy, she replied: "Leaves." With no food available in her village, she had resorted to boiling wild greens to survive.

After giving birth, Amina's body could no longer produce milk. Desperate, she walked for hours through dangerous terrain to reach the clinic, where World Relief's staff immediately admitted the child into a therapeutic feeding program.

14,105 women and children protected from abuse and connected to safety

51,464 farmers in DR Congo trained with improved practices to strengthen food security

In Sudan, 603,118 people received lifesaving food aid and 175,925 were provided with safe drinking water

Meeting Ongoing Needs

As many draw back from deepening global crises, we keep stepping forward alongside people like you. Together, we can ensure those caught in conflicts and disasters — families like Amina’s — find help when they need it most.

"I believe strongly in relief and development — I care about a combination of immediate deep needs with a strong kingdom component for long-term success in caring for families. World Relief's partnership with the church in Chad provides the opportunity for immediate relief for the Sudanese fleeing the Darfur region and a chance for longer term sustainability in community development because the church is present."

— Greg Spencer, World Relief partner supporting church partnerships and disaster response in Chad and Sudan

Standing in the Gap

Through Advocacy

At a time when immigrants and vulnerable people around the world faced enormous danger, you joined us in speaking out from a biblically informed, nonpartisan perspective. Together, we equipped pastors and churches to defend the oppressed, protecting funding for millions in need of HIV treatment (PEPFAR) and mobilizing tens of thousands in support of compassionate immigration policies. We also produced groundbreaking reports, The State of the Golden Door and One Part of the Body, highlighting how global religious persecution drives the need for refugee and asylum protections and the impact of immigration enforcement on Christian families. Our voices were united, bold, faith-filled and unwavering.

Pastor Ara's Story

When a video surfaced in the summer of 2025 of immigration officers detaining a man from Pastor Ara Torosian’s church, his wife collapsing in panic nearby, Pastor Ara stood behind the camera. The couple had fled religious persecution in Iran, followed every legal step to seek asylum, and believed they would find safety. Instead, they found fear and separation.

Pastor Ara himself had been imprisoned and tortured for his Christian faith in Iran before resettling in the U.S. in 2010. Today, he ministers to immigrant families in Los Angeles, walking with those facing detention and deportation.

Church leaders from all 50 states signed our statement urging the protection of persecuted Christians and refugee resettlement

25,000+ local and national advocacy calls, letters and sign-ons mobilized

22 op-eds and 300+ media features secured in the Associated Press, Washington Post, NPR, Washington Examiner and more

Meeting Ongoing Needs

The need for courageous, faith-rooted advocacy has never been greater. As displacement rises and policy shifts threaten the vulnerable, we remain committed to equipping the church to lead with bold conviction. Together, we can protect families, shape a more just future, and ensure that God’s command in Micah 6:8 to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly echoes in halls of power.

"Pastoring a church with diverse political views means guiding people through political chaos toward compassion. Our partnership with World Relief helped us see both the complexity of immigration laws and the simplicity of caring for those in need. Whether through border immersion trips or advocating in Washington, D.C., our congregation now engages these national issues in a personal way. I am thankful for the resources and connections that allow our community to serve with care, precision and heart."

— Jonathan Misirian, lead pastor of Southbrook Church in Franklin, WI

Standing in the Gap

In the wake of disaster

When global disasters strike, we are compelled to respond. Following Jesus' example, we do not look away from those who are suffering. Instead, we walk beside them.

On March 28, 2025, when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, Ma Ei Thazin Hwe experienced compounding crises: Her home had been destroyed, and she had no access to clean water to give to her two children. Even when bottled water arrived, a lifelong disability prevented her from standing in line.

Thankfully, World Relief was there. Alongside local, on-the-ground partners, we delivered water filtration systems and other essential supplies to Ma Ei Thazin. Soon, she even had enough purified water to reopen her noodle shop. “Access to safe water is life-changing,” Mai Ei Thazin said. “It has helped me protect my children and become self-reliant.”*

*Image and story collected by our partner, ZOA

356,398 people received vital aid in the wake of disasters in FY25.

In Myanmar, 81,097 people received food, water, shelter and emergency cash assistance after the earthquake.

In Sudan, 603,118 people received lifesaving food aid and 175,925 were provided with safe drinking water

Learn how we are responding to global disasters today