Compassion spokesman Tim Glenn says the Indian government has restricted the flow of funds since May of last year, and obviously the program that aids children and families can’t operate without money.

Spread across the country of 1.2 billion people are approximately 147,000 children who are helped by Compassion, 600 church partners, and a ministry staff of 127 people.

The government has not given any formal explanation why it has frozen the funds.

Glenn says the restriction hurts more than the children.

“Those 147,000 children go back home, and they share the messages and the things that they learn with their family,” says Glenn. “And so this is going to impact entire communities, entire families – and it will eventually impact the entire country of India.”

Compassion sends nearly $50 million a year to India, an impoverished nation that holds as many as one-third of the world’s poorest people.

Despite having to leave India after a 48-year presence, Compassion’s ministry “is as strong as ever” in 25 countries, says Glenn, helping 1.8 million children and working with more than 6,700 church partners.

Compassion is “heartbroken” over the situation in India, he adds, “but at the end of the day our ministry continues – and we continue to answer the calling that God has given us, and that is to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.”