‘Terrifying landmark’ as number of Syrian refugees passes two million

Aid agency World Vision continues to step up its efforts in Syria and neighbouring countries, as the number of refugees fleeing the conflict reaches a landmark two million.

More Syrians are now displaced than any other nationality, according to the UN refugee agency which released the figures this morning.

World Vision UK recently warned about the impact of the crisis on neighbouring countries, including Lebanon where a third of the population is set to be made up of refugees by Christmas.

Justin Byworth, Chief Executive of World Vision UK, said: “As children go back to school in the UK today, hundreds of thousands who fled Syria don’t even have their most basic needs met – let alone an education.

“Two million refugees – half of them children – is a terrifying landmark. Each one has an individual story of fleeing the country they loved with nothing but the clothes on their back, their homes destroyed and relatives killed.

“We and other agencies are doing all we can to help these children rebuild their lives, yet the task is overwhelming.  Children play no part in the conflict yet, as our staff see every single day, they’re the ones who suffer most.”

In Lebanon, through the Syria Appeal, World Vision is helping more than 125,000 Syrian refugees and residents with food vouchers, hygiene kits and water and sanitation projects. The agency is also running Child Friendly Spaces to give children some normality and safety amid the chaos.

Inside Syria the agency is providing up to 70,000 people with emergency food, clean water and health services and, in Jordan, setting up water and sanitation facilities for 30,000 refugees in the new camp at Azraq.