SYRIA REGIONAL CRISIS
March 2018 marked the seventh anniversary of the conflict in Syria, 13.1 million men people including 5.3 million children have been plunged into desperate need (UNICEF).
A World Vision refugee camp in Jordan
7 Stories for 7 Years After Syria
After seven years, many children displaced by the war in Syria only have vague memories of their homeland. The confines of a refugee camp, poor housing and sanitation, inadequate healthcare and intermittent education, all seem normal to them. These children want to tell their stories and be heard. So we partnered with Al Jazeera’s virtual reality studio Contrast VR to train and equip budding young filmmakers in Jordan’s Za’atari Refugee Camp. The result is seven powerful short virtual reality films written, directed and filmed by child refugees. Watch the 7 Stories After Syria:
Access to water, food, education and basic health services are the biggest priorities.
According to OCHA, Syria's standard of living has regressed by almost four decades due to the conflict, including;
- Four out of five Syrians now living in poverty
- Life expectancy has dropped by more than 20 years.
Deemed to be the world’s largest displacement crisis, approximately 12.6 million Syrians are said to be displaced, with just over half escaping to other parts of the country (in mostly hard to reach areas), while the remainder either fled to neighbouring countries or have sought refuge in other parts of the world.
SYRIA'S CHILDREN
The impact on children is alarming. The relentless onslaught darkens the future for Syria and its children. The situation in Syria is tragic and heart-breaking, as millions of children continue to face an uncertain future.
Seven years on, the survival of Syria’s children remains everyone’s priority. Children make up just under half of those in need; their needs are specific due to their vulnerability and extreme exposure to this crisis.
For many Syrian children, all they have ever known is war. It’s impossible for us to imagine the extreme effect this is having on the mental, physical and social health of the generation who will need to rebuild Syria.
1.75 million children inside Syria are out of school and 1.35 million are at risk of dropping out.
In 2017, at least 1,000 grave violations against children were recorded, including the killing and maiming of children, as well as recruitment of children into the armed forces. Concerns over the psychosocial wellbeing of children are growing, as their lives crumble around them, and they cope with:
- losing loved ones,
- seeing their homes destroyed,
- being injured
- and lost education.
All of this is expected to have a severe impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing. As children
and adolescents struggle to see any future beyond this conflict, there's fear that they could become a lost generation.
You can support World Vision's work to help these children, and other children like them, by donating now.
Please donate to the Syria Appeal now
The conflict can’t be fixed overnight. Nor can we expect children to return to their homes, safety or stability any time soon. Even when the fighting stops, there’s a country to rebuild from the ground up; a shattered infrastructure to repair; and, for children, the need to address the psychological and emotional scars of war and catch up on years of lost education.
- Wynn Flaten, Director of World Vision’s Syria Response
Beyond Survival
In February 2018, World Vision conducted a survey, Beyond Survival, talking to more than 1,200 children in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, about how the conflict continues to affect them. Children spoke of how the drawn-out conflict has dramatically impacted their living conditions and social structures. And children were found to bear the brunt of the family stress, including conflict-induced poverty, unemployment and discrimination. Alarmingly, many children believed these stressors to be a normal part of their new lives. Despite the huge challenges faced by Syrian children every day, they are still seen as a source of hope for the future. Read their stories.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP?
World Vision began helping children and their families affected by this crisis in 2011. Seven years on, our relief teams operate in five countries and in 2017 reached 2.2 million people, including nearly 1.3 million children. We are working with partners inside Syria and our priority has been to adopt strategies that protect children from violence. This has led to a focus on health, education, protection, participation and psychological wellbeing, where life-skills and psychological support for children are key to overcoming the traumatic effects of the conflict.
Read all about our Syria Crisis response so far, in the latest annual report ‘Securing a Future for Children’ which details our work across the region.
Read all about our Syria Crisis response so far, in the latest annual report ‘Securing a Future for Children’ which details our work across the region.
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK IN THE REGION:
Our work in Syria
“Despite all they have faced, and continue to face every day, Syria’s children are a source of hope for the country’s future. But there is a risk that they may never fully recover from this conflict..."
Read moreOur work in Iraq
We've been working in the northern Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) since 2014. We're helping people who've fled their homes with food assistance, safe water and sanitation.
Read moreOur work in Lebanon
Since 2011 we've been working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon and with the local communities.
Read moreOur work in Jordan
Since 2013 we have been working alongside Syrian refugees in Jordan and with the local communities who are hosting them.
Read moreRead more about the difference one simple change can make »
Radwan's story
Having fled the war in Syria, 12-year-old refugee child Radwan was working on a construction site in Jordan when he encountered World Vision. With our help, he’s now back in school and in charge of his own future, with a smile on his face. See his story in the video below:
Please share Radwan's story using the icons below:
HOW CAN I HELP?
You’ve helped so many children; but now in the eighth year of conflict, humanitarian needs continue to grow, and more and more families need urgent support.
13.1 million people need humanitarian assistance now, including more than 5.3 million children who have lost homes, friends, family members and seen or experienced violence that no child ever should.
But they're still children. They deserve a childhood and hope for the future.
Donate now to help Syria's children overcome the past, thrive today and hope for the future.
STORIES AND BLOGS
Syria's Refugees: Ahmad never had a hobby before
Thursday 01, Jun, 2017Joining our Child Friendly Space in Lebanon gave Ahmad an opportunity to learn new skills and games, make new friends and start …
A $4 meal for a taste of home
Thursday 06, Apr, 2017For Mayssa, a Syrian mother displaced by conflict, the $4 dollars she rations for each meal is enough to give her three children…
11 things you can do right now to help end violence against children
Thursday 09, Mar, 2017World Vision’s campaign ‘It takes a world to end violence against children’ was named because no one individual, group or organi…
LATEST REPORTS
March 2018 marked the seventh anniversary of the Syrian conflict. The conflict has quickly become the worst assault on children in a decade; the situation is becoming increasingly worse, with growing reports of violence and targeting of children.
Click here to read all about our 2017 Syria Crisis Response Report >
Click here to read all about the 2016 Syria Crisis Response Report >
View Committed to children: 2016 Syria Crisis Response Annual Review in a new window ›
Please share this report using the icons below:
You can read more about the crisis and World Vision's response by downloading the publications below:
PUBLICATIONS
THANK YOU
So far, you've helped us raise over £1,451,721 for those impacted by the war in Syria.