As humanitarian crises around the world continue to escalate, it can seem overwhelming. Many of us want to pray for people affected by war and conflict, but don't know where to begin. Here are three places that you could be praying for over the next few days.
Aleppo
The crisis in Aleppo seems worse than ever. Around 275,000 people are trapped in the eastern part of the city as the Syrian government – backed by Russian air forces and Iranian-backed militias – continues to try to flush out rebels. On Tuesday and Wednesday, 145 people – the majority of them civilians – were killed, and on Thursday another four children died in a Christian neighbourhood when shells landed near their school. The Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo this week said the city has become a "living hell".
Pakistan
Pakistan's Christian community continues to battle severe persecution. On Thursday, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother-of-five who has been on death row since 2010, had her final appeal postponed by the Supreme Court, and no date set for when it will be rescheduled. She has been convicted of blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad, a charge she denies. Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often used against members of religious minorities to seize businesses and properties, or to settle old scores.
Nigeria
One of the worst countries in the world for Christian persecution, Nigeria is still struggling with Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency. This week, the Islamist militant group released 21 of the girls captured from their school in Chibok in April 2014, but more than 200 remain missing. Some are believed to have been married off to militants, and Boko Haram has claimed that a number of others have been killed in military airstrikes.
