2026 Mid-Year Report
Thank You!
We want to thank you for your generosity and prayers that enable Samaritan's Purse to labor alongside local churches, reaching the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The mid-year report focuses on many of our current projects, disaster responses, and stories of God's faithfulness around the world—from unrest in the Middle East to a Liberian prison, from western North Carolina to war-torn Ukraine and the jungles of Southeast Asia. We pray that you are encouraged to see glimpses of God at work.
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:4–6, ESV
Middle East
Lebanon
A Platform to Proclaim the Gospel
When 1 million Lebanese people suddenly fled their homes due to ongoing violence, local church partners immediately began providing relief items and food to the displaced. In March and April, we airlifted more than 150 tons of emergency aid to Beirut aboard our 767 cargo plane. Items included tents, kitchen and hygiene kits, blankets, solar lights, and pharmaceutical supplies.
This work has built trust among those displaced, including many Muslims, and has provided opportunities to share the love of Jesus Christ.
Iraq
Bringing Clean Water to Sinjar
Iraq has been called a “forgotten crisis” in recent years, particularly for people groups like the Yazidis who suffered tremendously from the Islamic State more than a decade ago. Displaced Yazidi families desire to return to their homeland, the Sinjar region of northern Iraq, but face challenges such as regaining access to safe water.
Our Living Water Program is currently working to rehabilitate boreholes for communities and provide WASH-related services for schools and primary health care centers. Last year, the program provided clean water access for more than 10,000 people in Sinjar, rehabilitated 20 agricultural boreholes, and constructed or rehabilitated 31 sanitation facilities.
“Before Samaritan's Purse rehabilitated the boreholes, we had to buy water, which was a heavy financial burden. Now we have reliable water for our daily needs, and I can even grow vegetables again—this has brought hope and stability back to our family.”
—A community member
North America
God's Faithfulness After the Storm
Winter Storm Fern passed through the South in late January, triggering deployments to five areas across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Praise God we were able to serve over 3,300 families and witnessed 144 people give their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. One of those people was Talitha Finnie in Oxford, Mississippi.
The storm battered Talitha's home and yard. Fallen trees and debris covered her property. Our volunteers quickly responded and cleaned up the mess. After the job was done, the team gathered around Talitha on her front porch and one of the volunteers felt the pull of the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel with her. Talitha repented and believed. Her new joy was apparent. She couldn't stop smiling as she hugged all the volunteers.
“You gave me my Bible and asked me if I wanted to accept the Lord into my life. And I did.”
“You gave me my Bible and asked me if I wanted to accept the Lord into my life. And I did,” she said. “You guys prayed over me and my family, and I thank you guys for that. Now I can just lay my burdens down and present them before the Lord.”
Everlasting Hope After Hurricane Helene
Our Hurricane Helene rebuild and recovery efforts continue in North Carolina and Tennessee, while also expanding to Georgia and Florida. We are repairing driveways and building bridges, constructing and repairing houses, delivering manufactured homes, purchasing materials and furniture, and replacing vehicles and campers. As we do these things, our staff and volunteers have opportunities to share the hope of the Gospel with families who have struggled for almost two years.
When Hurricane Helene swept through Swannanoa, North Carolina, in 2024, it triggered a massive flood in Thomas Archer's neighborhood that engulfed his mobile home. Mold quickly grew, making the home uninhabitable. Thomas didn't know what to do, but he knew who to turn to. “I prayed,” he said. “Please God, help me. And He did.”
“I thank God a lot. I thank Samaritan's Purse. They have worked wonders doing this for me. I'm truly blessed.”
Earlier this year, Thomas was presented the keys to a new mobile home given to him by Samaritan's Purse in Jesus' Name. “I've never had a new home in my life,” Thomas said. “I thank God a lot. I thank Samaritan's Purse. They have worked wonders doing this for me. I'm truly blessed.”
A New Way of Missions in Medical Deserts
Community Medical Outreaches are weekend pop-up clinics that provide free medical, dental, and vision care in underserved communities. Utilizing our medical expertise, we partner with a local church to expand its outreach and meet the needs of its neighbors. At every step of the patient experience, staff members, chaplains, and volunteers are ready to listen, pray, and share the eternal hope of the Gospel.
“We thank You mainly, Lord, for all this attention You have given us. Samaritan's Purse has taken very good care of us.”
In March, a clinic was held in Burnsville, North Carolina. More than 100 of our medical volunteers, hailing from 16 states, served and showed God's love to 294 patients. One man, Franklyn, came with his family. He praised God for the compassionate care they received. He prayed, “We thank You mainly, Lord, for all this attention You have given us. Samaritan's Purse has taken very good care of us.”
Additional clinics in 2026 are planned for Kentucky, West Virginia, and Georgia.
South America
Colombia
Caring for the Body and Soul
In Colombia, we are addressing the ongoing needs of migrants from neighboring Venezuela with special projects that focus on the most vulnerable—women, children, and adolescents. Because migrants have left all of their resources behind, our response is broad: providing food assistance to over 100 families through local churches, deploying mobile medical teams to rural areas, operating care clinics for new and expecting mothers, and conducting protection programs to help prevent gender-based violence and trafficking. We integrate the Gospel and spiritual care into everything we do—from offering prayer and a Bible to beneficiaries, to facilitating Christian education programs for children through local churches.
One expectant mother we helped was Catalina.* The first-time mom arrived in our clinic along the Colombia-Venezuelan border severely malnourished and afraid. She had endured much trauma in her life. But God began to heal Catalina at our clinic, giving her newfound hope for her future. A pastor and one of our staff shared the Gospel with her, and she gave her life to Jesus Christ. Later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
“The clinic is where I really got to know God. God has been my healing.”
“I started to relax after getting to know the Samaritan's Purse staff and what they do here,” Catalina said. “The clinic is where I really got to know God. God has been my healing.”
*Name changed for security
Asia
Cambodia
Breaking the Cycle of Exploitation
An estimated 7,200 migrant returnees and deportees are expected to arrive this year through the Poipet Migrant Access Center along the Thai-Cambodian border, and Samaritan's Purse stands ready to warmly welcome them with immediate assistance. Our programming takes a multifaceted approach to end human trafficking—both ministering to victims and also working to end the cycle before it can start. One way we do this is through our livelihood programs, such as training locals to raise goats that will provide them with a sustainable income and make them less vulnerable to traffickers.
“My livelihood has been such a huge blessing to my family. I will continue to do whatever I can for my community, just as Samaritan's Purse did for me. I can help others rise out of their struggles and disappointments.”
—Sokun, a livelihood beneficiary now operating her own business
Vietnam
Building a Strong and Healthy Generation
In northern Vietnam, Samaritan's Purse is reaching children from broken families living at a social work center, providing them with mentorship and teaching them life skills to build healthy habits and relationships as they grow into adulthood. Manh has grown up at the center since he was dropped off at the gate as an infant, and has faced significant challenges and felt overlooked until he received care from Samaritan's Purse.
“The changes in me and in my friends do not just come from the training methods or activities. A crucial part comes from the love and care of the Samaritan's Purse staff.”
“The changes in me and in my friends do not just come from the training methods or activities. A crucial part comes from the love and care of the Samaritan's Purse staff,” Manh said. “For orphaned kids like us, we are very sensitive to love. We can tell right away when someone comes to us with a genuine heart.”
Europe
Ukraine
Restoring Peace to Souls
Since the beginning of the conflict, Kateryna* and her church have met the urgent needs of soldiers and displaced people in Ukraine. Over time, it became clear that people required more than physical assistance—they needed emotional and spiritual restoration.
“I deeply needed knowledge and tools to minister to people in crisis, people who have experienced traumatic events, and those who require special care.”
“I deeply needed knowledge and tools to minister to people in crisis, people who have experienced traumatic events, and those who require special care,” Kateryna said. When she learned about the Healing the Wounds of Trauma training offered by Samaritan's Purse, she immediately understood it was what her people needed.
Kateryna now leads support groups, giving vulnerable people a space to process their pain, navigate the healing process, find companionship, and lean into Biblical truth and hope. Kateryna now sees deep, Gospel-centered changes in the lives of her neighbors and her church as God heals broken hearts.
“Life is filled with challenges and tragic experiences, and it is very difficult to cope alone,” Kateryna said. “Healing is a process that requires time, guidance, and support.”
To learn more about our work in Ukraine, listen to a recent On the Ground podcast with host Kristy Graham as a local pastor shares what God is doing on the frontlines in the war-torn country.
*Name changed for security
Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Restoration of the Body and Soul
Due to the large numbers of displaced people, the lack of basic necessities, and a food crisis, needs across the Democratic Republic of the Congo are widespread and complex. Samaritan's Purse teams are providing urgently needed medical care to remote areas, restoring hope for many.
A mobile medical unit visited northeastern Congo, where health centers are few and far between. For several weeks, a team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and nutritionists all traveled across the region, providing consultations and treating illnesses. Nearly 2,000 people received care.
A surgical team also performed cleft lip and palate operations free of charge. Our staff also shared the Gospel with the parents of the patients. We praise God that the team completed 89 corrective surgeries and that more than 60 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Liberia
Bringing Healing for the Broken
Prisoners are among some of the most marginalized groups, often abandoned by society and confined to a system that is unable to truly rehabilitate. Plagued with overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate amounts of food, water, and healthcare, Liberian prisons can be a hopeless place.
Samaritan's Purse is helping incarcerated men and women find true freedom in Christ, demonstrating the love, acceptance, and purpose that can only be found in Him. We are providing prisoners with vital materials, such as hygiene kits and nutritional aid, and empowering them to become advocates for God's Kingdom through discipleship training.
“As long as there is Christ in my heart, I will never give up hope.”
—Augustine, prison ministry beneficiary
Madagascar
Shattering the Darkness with a Simple Gift
Deep in the eastern forests of Madagascar, the Ambodibibaka community is known for its hostility to the Gospel. Part of an unreached people group, this village holds fast to ancestral idols and traditions, making one thing very clear: “the Gospel is not welcome here.”
However, an Operation Christmas Child team felt called by God to take the Gospel to places that had never heard it. With Ambodibibaka on their hearts, they began to share their vision and pray, but they encountered strong resistance from local authorities. They then reached out to the village leaders with a simple offer: to bless the area's children with a gift. The leaders accepted.
When the day arrived for the outreach event, the team was met with joy and great enthusiasm. The parents even volunteered to walk six hours to help carry the shoebox gifts to the village. Over 1,400 children and their families attended the event and heard the Gospel, many for the first time. When the invitation to follow Jesus was given, more than 1,500 responded to the call to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
From a place that once resisted the Gospel, God softened the hearts of the Ambodibibaka people and shattered decades of darkness, meeting them with His enduring love—all through the simple gift of a shoebox.
