Canada

Canada: The people being helped by the churches are the parents and siblings of Hamilton resident Ramzi Elnaggar, who came to Canada as a refugee sponsored by his wife, Afaf, according to Hamilton Spectator. Her family of 24 relatives, in turn, are living precariously in Kuwait and waiting for their chance to be sponsored into Canada. Led by Westdale United Church in Hamilton, the group wants to sponsor a family of 19 people who have been chased from homes in the West Bank, Kuwait, Iraq and now Syria. "Doing this is something that just captured the imagination of our church," said Westdale United minister Andy Crowell. "We see them as a family we can come alongside and really help." Joining Westdale United in the effort are Nelson, Lowville, Carlisle, Lynden and Rock Chapel United churches. They are trapped today between warring factions in Syria where they fled to avoid war in Iraq. My husband doesn't sleep well because every day he worried about what might happen to them." The United Church of Canada is one of 85 agencies across the country that have signed agreements under the federal government Privately Sponsored Refugee program. They had gone to Iraq to avoid war in Kuwait. "There is no place for them to go, but they are being pushed to leave Syria now," Afaf explained. "They are running away with nothing and all they want is a safe place to live." Getting her husband relatives to a new home, she said, is more important now because they are in greater danger. "They need help more than my family right now," she said. "They have hope because of the church, but we still worry about them every day. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.