The United States and its Allies carried out air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, but not in Syria. There the self-proclaimed caliphate stormed through Kurdish villages, sending waves of at least 130,000 refugees into Turkey over the past two days. Carol Batchelor, the Turkey representative for the United Nations’ refugee agency, said in an interview with Reuters,

“I don’t think in the last three and a half years we have seen 100,000 cross in two days. So this is a bit of a measure of how this situation is unfolding and the very deep fear people have about the circumstances inside Syria and, for that matter, Iraq.”

Regarding the severity of the situation, Numan Kurtulmus, Turkey’s deputy prime minister laments,

“This is not a natural disaster… What we are faced with is a man-made disaster. An uncontrollable force at the other side of the border is attacking civilians. The extent of the disaster is worse than a natural disaster.”

Regarding the refugee situation in Turkey, BBC reports,

Before the latest influx, there were already more than one million Syrian refugees in Turkey. They have fled since the start of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad three years ago. Some of the new arrivals are being sheltered in overcrowded schools, as Turkey struggles to cope with the influx.

At Open Eyes Mission, we continue to monitor the war in Syria and Iraq, and the refugee crisis in Lebanon, Turkey and neighboring countries, praying and seeking the Lord for direction and guidance as we consult with partner agencies and firm-up our plans for both short-term and long-term outreach.

• Pray for the 130,000 new Kurdish refugees in Turkey.
• Pray for me and our team as we plan and pursue the expansion of our mission’s reach for the sake of our suffering fellowmen in the Middle East.