2024 Year‑End Report

Millions of people worldwide have been devasted by natural disasters, poverty, famine, and war and desperately need physical relief and the hope of Jesus Christ. Samaritan's Purse is reaching hurting families while also letting them know they are not forgotten and God is with them during difficult times.

"We want to show them God's love. We want people to see that Samaritan's Purse is there in the Name of Jesus," said Walter Hope, a Disaster Assistance Response Team member.

Your partnership has helped us meet physical needs as we share the lifechanging salvation found only in Christ.

“Through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men.”

Dennis and Joanne panicked as sludgy water seeped into their home through every possible crack and crevice. They needed to leave but had no idea where to go or how they could push against the rushing water to escape. Suddenly, there was a knock on their door, and they heard a man say, "I'm here to get you out."

The man, named Gil, was a stranger to Dennis and Joanne, but he helped them get the door open just wide enough to slip out. They fought against the water and wind to get to higher ground. "We grabbed trees along the way to keep from being washed away," Dennis said. "I can't remember ever being so scared."

After the storm, God sent Samaritan's Purse and our army of volunteers to bring His love to those who needed to know that He had not forgotten them. In just one day, more than 1,300 volunteers fanned out across the Asheville, North Carolina, area to serve hurting homeowners.

Samaritan's Purse established six disaster response sites in the wake of Hurricane Helene—three in North Carolina (Asheville, Burnsville, and Boone), two in Florida (Tampa/St. Petersburg and Perry), and one in Valdosta, Georgia.

Hurricane Helene hit near Perry, Florida, with 140 mph winds. As the storm swept up the southeastern U.S., it spawned numerous tornadoes, severe flooding, and caused more than 230 deaths.

Serving in Jesus' Name, our volunteers worked hard to mud out Dennis and Joanne's flooded home. "Seeing those orange shirts come into our neighborhood with their smiles brought the air back into our lungs," Dennis said. "This has been life-changing."

In 2024, our disaster relief teams demonstrated God's love to hurting families in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. More than 36,800 volunteers served 7,841 homeowners in 31 deployments across the country.

Volunteers and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association chaplains offered spiritual healing as they prayed with homeowners and shared the Gospel. We praise God that 892 people dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ as a result of deployments this year.

Long before daybreak, Nadia* was already at the market in her town in southern Sudan to sell tea and coffee. She was motivated to rise early because she needed to support her three children.

Nadia's childhood was plagued by war, and she was heartbroken when conflict erupted again in Sudan. Armed forces raided her village, including the market where she sold her coffee and tea. She was forced to flee with her children. They journeyed for two days during oppressive heat with no food and little water. The threat of armed groups loomed the entire way. They were tired and weak when they arrived at a camp of nearly 50,000 displaced people.

Samaritan's Purse provided Nadia and thousands of others with corn, beans, oil, and salt to sustain them and their families for a month.

"I am happy to feed my children and for them to not feel hungry," she said.

"When I sleep, I think about how we almost died of hunger and how this food has saved our lives."

Millions of others in Sudan—more than half the country's population—have sought refuge in already impoverished areas like the Kordofan region. Without anything to eat, these people must scavenge the ground and the brush for grass, leaves, roots, and seeds.

Since war returned to Sudan, Samaritan's Purse has been providing food, shelter material, and medical care in Jesus' Name. We've also provided clean water sources, along with improved sanitation and hygiene, through freshwater wells and pit latrines to prevent life-threatening waterborne illness.

*Name changed for security.

Mirel had already experienced many hardships by age 10. His mother was an alcoholic and gave him little attention or love. Their family was so impoverished that Mirel herded sheep in his village in Romania for the payment of a piece of cheese.

Never having experienced kindness, Mirel was afraid of others and lived in isolation. Even when a Samaritan's Purse ministry partner developed a relationship with him and invited him to a children's program at church, he ran away and hid. Mirel told our partner that no one loved him.

The ministry partner shared with Mirel that Jesus Christ loved him, and he invited Mirel to an outreach event where he would learn more about God. He attended the event and was delighted to receive a shoebox gift.

Mirel's distrust began to fade as he was welcomed by the other boys and girls at the event. He learned the song "Jesus Loves Me" and knew that he was deeply loved by the Savior who died for him.

God used a shoebox gift to connect Mirel with other children who are now his friends. And he has a Best Friend in Jesus.

This year, more than 11.3 million Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts traveled thousands of miles to bring the love of Christ to children in more than 100 countries. More than 5 million shoebox recipients participated in The Greatest Journey, our follow-up discipleship program, and learned more about God's Word and how to share their faith with family and friends.

About 90 percent of Rio Grande do Sul—Brazil's southernmost state—was affected by historic rainfall that caused deadly flooding and mudslides this year. When the Guaiba River rose to record heights and broke its banks, dozens of neighborhoods were flooded in a few hours, and more than 500,000 people fled their homes in search of safety.

We deployed our DC-8 and 757 cargo planes to bring emergency relief to southern Brazil. Our planes transported more than 45 tons of urgently needed items such as blankets, hygiene kits, solar lights, household water filters, and 10 community water filtration systems. Most of the water points were set up at churches with heavy foot traffic so that anyone walking down the street could have access.

"The water system that Samaritan's Purse gave us is not only attending to the needs of this community, but people are coming from outside the community as well," said Pastor Ricardo Dalcin. As he told people that Samaritan's Purse had made clean water possible and invited them to the water point, he also shared the eternal hope of the Gospel.

"If I had to give up all my material possessions to be in the position that I am today and evangelizing, I would have done it much sooner," he said. "We are in such a beautiful time of telling people there's still hope."

We also served community leaders like vice principal Marcia Tavares, who was informed by the city government that her school would serve as a shelter for flood survivors. Soon, buses full of people with nowhere else to turn pulled up to the school. Many arrived empty-handed, soaking wet, and shoeless. Marcia and her staff scrambled to provide necessities.

Marcia was relieved when a Samaritan's Purse team arrived with relief items for those staying at the school. "I was trying to be strong," she said. "But the first time that I cried was when you guys came here and prayed with us and gave us a hug."

Hurricane Beryl ravaged the Caribbean with 150 mph winds that ripped homes apart and damaged critical infrastructure, including community water points. Thousands of people suffered from disease, dehydration, and hunger.

A Samaritan's Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team deployed less than 24 hours after Beryl made landfall. We distributed tarps, solar lights, hygiene kits, jerry cans, and cooking kits to hard-hit communities across multiple island nations in the Caribbean: Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Our DC-8 cargo plane made multiple flights to transport desperately needed supplies.

Our teams set up filtration systems to provide drinking water for thousands of people across the islands. On Grenada's Carriacou island, where Beryl had torn the roof off the island's only hospital, we deployed an Emergency Field Hospital.

Lyndona Charles has lived on Carriacou her entire life but had never experienced anything like Beryl. She huddled inside her home with her two children, as violent winds tore off the roof and walls crumbled around them. The storm left at least six people dead and flattened entire neighborhoods. Lyndona thanked God for keeping her family safe. "It's only Him that has saved us because there was nothing over us to keep us," she said.

She was glad to receive a solar light and heavy-duty tarp from Samaritan's Purse. The solar lamp provided a much-needed light source while the island was without electricity. "It will help a great deal," she said. "I thank God for the kindness of those who sent this. We are very grateful."

Sofia* went to Hospital Mision Tarahumara in Mexico after an accident resulted in a fractured right humerus and lacerations around her nose and left eye.

Katie Morales, a nurse volunteering with World Medical Mission, immediately began caring for Sofia. She diligently but gently cleaned the dirt and blood from Sofia's face, checked for other wounds, and washed her hair.

"We talked about Jesus as I washed her hair. I asked her questions and shared how He has been my Comforter," Katie said.

The next day, Katie tended to Sofia's facial lacerations. She continued to share about the God who could also heal wounds of the heart. Sofia wanted to know more about Jesus, so Katie brought her a Bible in her own language and read passages aloud to her. For the first time since arriving at the hospital, Sofia smiled as they read the Bible together.

Our World Medical Mission volunteers experienced many opportunities this year to demonstrate God's love and share the Good News in mission hospitals across 28 countries.

*Name changed for security.