Burundi
Burundi has been plagued on-and-off by widespread violence over the 50 years since independence, culminating in a civil war which ended in 2005.
Since then, there has been relative peace and some economic recovery. However, progress halted in 2015 following disputed elections and an attempted coup. Since then, hardship has increased for the majority of the country’s 11 million people (who are mostly poor rural subsistence farmers).
Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 185 out of 189 countries in the 2018 Human Development Index. Over 80% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day. Fifty-eight percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and one out of every ten children in Burundi dies before the age of five from a preventable disease.
Since 2004, World Relief has been on the ground in Burundi, helping local churches and government agencies to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development & Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Cesalie Nicimpaye, Country Director
Cambodia
Decades have passed since the Khmer Rouge perpetrated a bloody genocide, eliminating a quarter of the country’s population, but Cambodia’s deep scars remain.
Today, the nation continues to struggle with poor infrastructure, unresolved trauma, interpersonal mistrust, and low levels of literacy.
Despite a rapidly growing economy, economic inequality continues to grow, increasing food insecurity, especially in rural areas. Inadequate access to food & lack of diverse nutritional sources has resulted in stunted growth of a third of Cambodian children under 5. With many parents being forced to migrate from rural to urban areas in search of economic opportunities, many children also experience extended periods of time without the care of their parents.
Since 1997, World Relief has been working alongside a network of home churches to implement innovative programs that equip families in their communities to build brighter futures. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Humanitarian Assistance
Leadership
Brandon Prichard, Country Director
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Chad
Since gaining independence in 1960, Chad has suffered from recurrent instability, violence, and civil war fueled by groups competing for political power and access to resources.
Chad has been consistently ranked as one of the ten poorest countries in the world by the United Nations. Today, the already fragile country is grappling with severe political tension, violence, underdevelopment, socio-economic challenges and growing insecurity within its borders and in neighboring countries. Forced displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, health emergencies and climate crises are all significant challenges in Chad.
An estimated 6.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and 5.3 million people are food insecure. There is a significant need to respond to the immediate needs of crisis-affected populations, refugees and establish a communal framework for linking humanitarian assistance with long-term development programs.
Since 2023, World Relief has been working in the Southern region of Chad as well as responding with emergency aid to the cross-border refugee crisis in the East. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Dr. Justine Mercedes Nagorngar, Country Director
DR Congo
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Relief works in areas where multiple armed groups are operating and where violence persists.
Communities’ proximities to conflict have led to destabilization that results in displacement, sexual and gender-based violence, and trauma. Most people in the DRC rely on agriculture as the main source of food as well as income. But frequent attacks on villages are disrupting peoples ability to feed and provide for their families.
In addition, rape is used as a weapon of war against women in conflict zones. Farming their fields or traveling long distances leave women vulnerable to attack by militias. Survivors of rape face serious medical complications, mental trauma and ostracism if their attack is known by their community.
Since 2001, World Relief has been on the ground in Congo helping communities restart their lives and address the social fractures that exist as a result of long-term conflict. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Rumbidzai Pairamanzi, Country Director
Haiti
Though rich in culture and resources, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, ranking 168 out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index in 2018.
About a quarter of Haitians live in extreme poverty and much of the nation’s potential wealth has been squandered through centuries of colonialism, slavery, corruption, disease, and natural disasters.
Many of the remote areas where World Relief works have largely been left alone to deal with the aftermath of natural disasters and difficulties of economic and agricultural decline. Basic infrastructure like roads and water points have been compromised. Most families survive on subsistence farming and seasonal income.
Since 1988, World Relief has been on the ground in Haiti and working to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in;
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Humanitarian Assistance
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Pascal Bimenyimana, Country Director
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Kenya
Nearly 80% of Kenya’s population of 47 million live in rural areas, with most dependent on subsistence agriculture or livestock.
Over 50% of the population is below the age of 15 and despite the steady growth of the economy, more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. Kenya faces a high dependency burden, which places pressing demands on social services, including education and health care. In addition, severe droughts in parts of Kenya where World Relief works have triggered an ongoing food crisis and rendered these regions highly vulnerable.
Since 1991, World Relief has been on the ground in Kenya and working to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Oliver Otsimi, Country Director
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Malawi
Malawi is one of the poorest countries globally, with 70% of Malawians living beneath the international poverty line.
One of the most devastating results of Malawi’s poverty is severe malnutrition, which triggers a host of other health and development issues. These include high rates of child and maternal mortality, diminished cognitive ability and weakened immune systems - the latter already a significant threat due to wide prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Malawi’s children face a difficult future with over two-thirds of them deprived of basic needs which include access to education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.
Like most countries in Southern Africa, Malawi is at the epicenter of the HIV epidemic. AIDS-related illnesses are robbing the country of its prime workforce. In 2016, an estimated one million women, men, and children) were living with HIV, and more than half a million children had been orphaned by AIDS.
Since 1999, World Relief has been on the ground in Malawi and working to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Disability Inclusion
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Matilda Matitha, Country Director
Rwanda
Nicknamed the “land of a thousand hills,” Rwanda’s magnificent scenery has been the stage of unimaginable tragedy.
In 1994, long-simmering ethnic tensions erupted into genocide, killing as many as one million Rwandans in a mere 100 days and leaving behind an entire generation of orphans and widows. The genocide has left a lingering mark on the country. Many people have physical and emotional wounds and others face a daily struggle for food, shelter, healthcare, and education.
Although Rwanda is peaceful today, the genocide deepened the country’s already entrenched poverty. Today, nearly 40% of Rwandans live below the poverty line and almost half of all Rwandan children suffer from chronic malnutrition, severely limiting growth, brain development, performance in school and the body’s ability to fight disease.
Since 1994, World Relief has been on the ground in Rwanda and working to tackle these problems. Today we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Disability Inclusion
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Clemence Nkulikiyinka, Country Director
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South Sudan
South Sudan emerged in 2011 as the world’s newest state, but conflict returned in December 2013 when an internal power struggle descended into armed conflict.
The crisis has caused widespread destruction, death, and displacement of millions.. Gender-based violence and forced recruitment of boys into military forces are common and severe food insecurity plagues millions of communities across the country.
Although South Sudan is rich in natural resources, the large majority of the population earns its livelihood from farming or retailing activity – both of which are carried out on a small scale and generate little profit.. Unemployment and underemployment are very high and the availability of basic social services like education and healthcare remain severely low.
Since 1998, World Relief has been on the ground in South Sudan and working to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Economic Empowerment
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Abiyot Mulugeta Kitaw, Country Director
Sudan
For decades, Sudan’s westernmost region of Darfur has been plagued by armed conflict.
While many parts of the region have stabilized and shifted to recovery, others remain more fragile.
Poverty levels in Darfur are among the highest in the country, with almost two thirds of the population falling below the poverty line. Human development indicators are among the worst in Africa. The delivery of essential services like health, nutrition, education and water have been severely compromised, not just by the conflict but by the limited human and financial resources available to the region.
Since 2004, World Relief has been on the ground in Sudan and working to tackle these problems. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Agriculture and Food Security
Child Development and Protection
Economic Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Leadership
Josh Meares, Country Director
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Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has been an ongoing international conflict since 2014. On February 24th, 2022, the conflict escalated when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The United Nations revealed a heartbreaking statistic: in 2024, over 3.7 million people were estimated to be internally displaced within Ukraine. The psychological effects of the conflict on the Ukrainian people have been immense.
Approximately 10 million people in this nation may be in need of vital mental health support, demonstrating the urgent need for psychosocial assistance.
Since 2022, World Relief has been on the ground in Ukraine and working with crucial partners to tackle the needs of the Ukrainian people. Today, we run programs in:
Programs
Child Development and Protection
Church Empowerment
Gender Equity
Health
Humanitarian Assistance
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
Leadership
Robert Hessenauer, Country Director