At the end of June 2024, 122.6 million people worldwide remained forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order. This represents an increase of five per cent, or 5.3 million people, compared to 2023 (UNHCR). The number of displaced people has increased steadily every year for the last 13 years.  

Since its founding, The Salvation Army has sought to alleviate human suffering without discrimination. The Salvation Army works internationally to meet the needs of people fleeing conflict, violence, persecution, natural disasters and poverty by providing food, shelter and counselling, and attending to many other basic needs. We also support international efforts to eliminate persecution and displacement through the promotion of peace, tolerance, understanding and respect for human life and dignity.  

God’s hospitable loving concern for the stranger and foreigner are evident in Scripture. The Salvation Army contends that individuals and governments should act compassionately and humanely towards people seeking asylum or refuge or displaced people. Read The Salvation Army’s International Positional Statement on Refugees and Asylum Seekers. 

Some of the major displacement locations around the world today include Sudan, the State of Palestine, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Haiti, Syria and Venezuela. 

Here, we share how The Salvation Army is supporting displaced people in Haiti, Moldova, Rwanda and the United Kingdom. 

Haiti  

In Haiti, families from Solino, Fort National, Delmas 24, Nazon and Lalue in Port-au-Prince fled their homes due to attacks by the gang coalition ‘Viv Ansanm’. Despite resistance from the local people, around 3,000 people were forced to leave their homes under heavy gunfire, many with only the clothes on their backs. 

Political instability has allowed armed gangs to dominate, leading to numerous deaths and the destruction or occupation of police stations. Gangs have set up toll booths and restricted access to certain areas and pose high risks of kidnapping or death.  

Without humanitarian aid, the situation will worsen for those who are displaced, who fear for their lives and are unable to return home. They are currently living in a field without shelter and sanitation facilities. The Salvation Army has provided food, household items and tarpaulins to 400 families. 

Marie-Anne's story

I am a 61-year-old widow living in Solino. I have six children, and after my husband passed away last year, I now live with four of my children and five grandchildren in two small, rented rooms. None of my children work, and I bear the responsibility of caring for my grandchildren. 

Last December, bandits forced us out of our home in Solino during a violent conflict, resulting in death and destruction. We barely escaped and now live in a temporary shelter made of wood and tarpaulin provided by The Salvation Army in January. 

When Salvation Army officials visited us at the camp last December, we were hopeful for positive change. Shortly after, they returned with a card allowing us to receive aid. On distribution day, I received rice, peas, oil, salmon and a tarpaulin, which brought immense joy as I could finally feed my family properly. 

The aid from The Salvation Army sustained us for over a week, and the tarpaulin now serves as a cover for our shelter. Before their help, we often went days without food unless a good Samaritan provided a small portion. Even seeking food from others in the shelter was futile, as they faced similar hardships. 

The tarpaulin has given us a safer place to rest, protecting us from the sun and rain. We sleep peacefully at night, though we still fear another gang attack. I am deeply grateful to The Salvation Army for their support and for thinking of the most deprived and vulnerable. We pray for blessings upon those who contribute to their work. 

May God continue to bless The Salvation Army worldwide and everyone involved in its mission. 

United Kingdom 

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, six million Ukrainians have been forced to flee overseas as refugees. The Salvation Army in Ramsgate, UK, supports Ukrainian refugees through addressing their emotional, social and practical needs. This helps refugees to recover from trauma, reconnect with their heritage and build fulfilling lives in a new community. 

English classes equip refugees with essential language skills and help them build relationships with the local community, enhancing their confidence and easing daily life challenges. A club for teenagers enables young people to meet with their peers, speak in their language and form friendships, helping to prevent isolation. In a similar vein, meetings are held for older people to connect with each other. 

Training opportunities, such as gaining barista skills, helps refugees gain self-esteem, work experience and a sense of purpose, paving the way for independence and financial stability. Volunteering opportunities are also available within The Salvation Army. By helping others, refugees find new meaning in their lives and contribute to the local community. 
 
Community singing, traditional celebrations and shared meals bring people together, strengthening cultural identity and providing comfort through familiar traditions. A Ukrainian school helps children maintain their language, heritage and cultural identity, fostering emotional stability and pride. 
 
Through spiritual support and church services, refugees stay connected to their faith and find comfort, particularly in times of crisis. 

Nadiia’s story

I arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme in May 2022 and, like many others, faced serious challenges – including host harassment and emotional distress. At that time, The Salvation Army in Ramsgate found and approached us, offering help without being asked. 

This first contact became the beginning of something much bigger. Feeling how vital it is to have safety and support, we began community work in Thanet, supporting Ukrainians. It started with small volunteer-led initiatives and gradually grew into large projects – community events, peer support groups, a Ukrainian school, choir and more. The Salvation Army was there at every step, supporting and encouraging this development. 

Eventually, the impact of our work became so strong that The Salvation Army created a full-time position to sustain it. I have just passed my interview and will soon start working as a Ukraine Project Coordinator and Translator in Ramsgate. I didn’t just rebuild my life – I found a meaningful career. 

The Salvation Army supported me emotionally and practically – with guidance, encouragement and most importantly, trust. They believed in my ideas, empowered me to act, and helped connect me with the resources and people needed to bring those ideas to life. I was also given opportunities to lead community initiatives, which helped me grow both professionally and personally. 

This support gave me not only strength and stability, but also a renewed sense of purpose. I went from being a person in need to someone able to support others. Today, I lead Ukrainian community activities, assist vulnerable people and I am beginning a new chapter as part of The Salvation Army team. It transformed my life. 

Once again, I want to thank The Salvation Army for being part of my journey. I feel honoured to now become part of your team and to support others the way I was once supported. 

Moldova 

In the first days of the Russia–Ukraine war, The Salvation Army in Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova and Romania received an overwhelming number of requests for help. Systems for registering refugees and distributing aid had to be developed quickly.  

After three years, there are different problems to tackle: local governments are less financially involved in supporting rent expenses of refugees, school supplies are needed for children living abroad, psychological counselling is still required for refugees suffering from war trauma or stress while adapting to a new place. 

Supermarket vouchers are an important part of the response in many countries. This form of aid gives refugees the dignity of choice, allowing them to select products that meet their individual needs. The Salvation Army has distributed more than 400,000 vouchers. 

Irina’s story

Our family, with three children, a mother-in-law and a teenage nephew, arrived in Moldova from Ukraine soon after the war started in March 2022 and settled with distant relatives. In the beginning, we didn’t seek any help; we didn’t even realise that anyone could (and especially ‘should’) be helping us, and we relied only on our own resources. About a month later, news began to spread through our hosts and neighbours that refugee aid centres were opening here and there, offering food, clothing and hygiene products. We arrived with just a few small bags, and we were grateful for any assistance, accepting it with gratitude and some embarrassment. It was still hard to accept that we were now ‘refugees’. 

I learnt about The Salvation Army in the summer of 2022. I remember the building in Chekanah, where they were handing out vouchers to support refugees. By the autumn of 2022, my nephew and mother-in-law returned to Odessa. I stayed in Moldova with my children and we rented an apartment in October of that year and have been staying in Chisinau ever since. 

I am very grateful to The Salvation Army. This church has been regularly supporting Ukrainian refugees in Moldova for the entire three years, and it was the first to fully transition to vouchers as the most convenient form of assistance. I look back warmly on the many kinds of help we received from The Salvation Army. Vouchers for food, household cleaning and hygiene products, clothing and furniture and home goods. My children live and grow surrounded by things that we received thanks to The Salvation Army. I hope to take them with us when we can return to Odessa, back to our home. Each piece of assistance from The Salvation Army is not only an opportunity to save money from the family budget but often means we can buy things we previously couldn’t afford – things like household items or furniture, simply because we didn’t have the extra money. I can confidently say that thanks to The Salvation Army, our quality of life has improved. 

Additionally, my eldest son received a backpack with school supplies and is currently attending Scout training. He goes there enthusiastically, and I hope that this summer, the Scouts will have a children’s camp and exciting nature trips. 

After three years in Moldova, I think that the needs of Ukrainian refugees haven’t changed much. Although most have found jobs, the necessity of paying for housing and high utility bills still forces us to constantly think about saving. Every voucher amount we receive from The Salvation Army and spend on food or clothing means that money stays in our wallet and can be used for other necessary expenses. And for this, The Salvation Army deserves deep heartfelt thanks! 

Galina’s story

In May 2022, I arrived in Chisinau from Odessa with my sister and our children (a one- and two-year-old). I first encountered The Salvation Army when I received food vouchers in Rîșcani. 

A little later, our refugee group began looking for volunteers to help at the building in Botanica. I offered my assistance, and since then, I’ve been a member of the volunteer team under the leadership of Lieutenant Marina Egorova. 

As a mother, I am very grateful to The Salvation Army for providing invaluable help in the form of food vouchers and vouchers for clothing through the Back to School programme. 

Our children are school-aged, and my sister and I truly appreciate the vouchers, especially before the school season starts when we can buy school supplies and new clothes for our children. 

Thank you so much for all the help you provide us. 

Rwanda 

The Salvation Army has played a crucial role in supporting Congolese refugees at the Nkamira Transit Centre in Rwanda, primarily through the distribution of essential non-food items. This initiative has been vital in addressing the immediate needs of refugees who have fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often arriving with minimal possessions.  

Recognising the urgent requirement for basic sleeping materials, The Salvation Army provided mattresses and kikoyis – a versatile cloth used both as clothing and bedding – to enhance comfort and dignity for the refugees. This effort was particularly significant given that the transit centre, initially designed for 2,000 individuals, was accommodating more than 9,000 people at one point.  

The Salvation Army also distributed essential hygiene items, such as soap and sanitary pads, addressing the needs of a population where approximately 90 per cent are women and children.  

Rosine’s story

Rosine, an 18-year-old girl, was born in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo into a Tutsi family. She resides in the Nkamira refugee camp in Rwanda, where she sought refuge in October 2024 after enduring years of severe ethnic discrimination and violence.  

In her testimony, Rosine recounts the harrowing events that befell her family. In 2023, she lost her parents and siblings, who were killed by FDLR rebels collaborating with the Congolese army. As a young girl, these traumatic experiences forced her into premature adulthood. Adding to her suffering, Rosine was subjected to sexual violence by these rebels, resulting in a pregnancy while she was 13 years old. She now cares for her daughter, born from this ordeal, in the Nkamira camp.  

Rosine's responsibilities extend beyond her own child. Following the death of her elder sister, she took in her niece, raising her as her own. The child frequently enquires about her mother's whereabouts, to which Rosine responds that she is enroute to the camp, unable to reveal the painful truth of her sister’s demise. For Rosine, this situation is a constant source of distress, knowing that the hatred and violence that claimed her sister’s life remain unresolved.  

Life in the camp is challenging, but Rosine expresses gratitude for the security it provides and the assistance from organisations like UNHCR (the UN refugee agency), ADRA Rwanda and The Salvation Army. Her two children attend school and live in safety.  

Rosine is grateful to Rwanda for welcoming her, but hopes she is one day able to return to her home country, when Congolese nationals of Tutsi ethnicity are able to have equal rights and when peace is upheld. 

Gashati’s story

Gashati is from a Tutsi community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but currently lives in the Nkamira refugee camp in Rwanda, where he arrived in October 2024. He is the father of twins, who with their mother are sheltered in another camp. 

Gashati’s life has been shaped by pain and repeated displacement. He has experienced exile twice. The first time was in 1996, when he fled to Rwanda with his parents and siblings. At that time, they were being persecuted by Hutu militias who had fled from Rwanda after the genocide and who began stealing cattle and attacking Tutsi communities in Congo. On arriving in Rwanda, Gashati and his family were first received at Nkamira camp and later transferred to Mudende camp. 

However, peace did not last in Mudende. In 1998, rebels attacked the camp, killing Gashati’s parents and many of their cows. Only five cows remained. Feeling unsafe even in Rwanda, he chose to return to the DRC in 2002 to care for those remaining cows. He settled in a place called Mahanga in Masisi, and over time, his herd grew to 27 cattle. 

In 2015, Gashati’s life took another tragic turn. He was abducted by FDLR rebels simply for being Tutsi. The rebels beat him severely; some abductees died from the torture. Gashati survived but was left seriously injured – he could no longer walk and had become disabled. 

Fortunately, Gashati had lived near a community of Bahunde people in Masisi. These neighbours, moved by compassion and past friendships, came searching for him and negotiated with his captors for his release. These Bahunde neighbours cared for him, escorting him through dangerous territory, paying bribes at roadblocks, and ensuring he reached the Rwanda-Congo border alive. 

Today, Gashati has no job and no cattle left, but he is deeply grateful to be alive. Reflecting on his experience, he says: ‘I had lost all hope, but the Bahunde treated me like family. They looked beyond ethnicity and saved my life. I still thank them to this day. Now, I only pray for peace and reconciliation in my country, Congo.’