Updates: World Vision's Response to the Syrian Crisis

18 Mar 2016 - 12:00am
Latest Updates

As of 3 March 2016, there are more than 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees (UNHCR, 2016). It is estimated that half of the refugees are children. In 2011, World Vision began providing assistance to internally displaced children and families in and around Syria. It has now expanded to include 5 countries: Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.

Since 2011, World Vision has assisted approximately 2.37 million Syrian refugees, internally displaced people and vulnerable host communities. We aim to alleviate the effects of interrupted schooling, limited access to health services, lack of food security and extremely limited protection from harm, on children and their families. Specifically targeted are the areas of education and protection for children, food, household and personal items, financial assistance, health and water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as psychological care to help victims deal with the trauma they have been through.

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With your help, World Vision reached out to children of the Syrian Crisis through:

 food-assistance Food Voucher Distribution  

  • Distribution of food vouchers to displaced people each month (in partnership with the World Food Programme) to ensure that families gain access to some food items
  • Distribution of rice to 18,197 vulnerable households to tide them over
  • Provision of juice, high-protein bars and other nutritious food items to 1,615 school students in Azraq refugee camp on a regular basis to support their nutritional intake

 

water-sanitation Water is Life 

  • Development of infrastructure, e.g. drainage and water supply systems, toilets, showers and water tanks in various refugee settlements to reduce the risk of hygiene or sanitation-related problems
  • Rehabilitation of water stations to provide access to sufficient water
  • Implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene programmes to reduce the risk of hygiene-related diseases
  • Distribution of hygiene kits and promotion of hygiene in schools
  • Distribution of baby and infant kits to children of displaced families to ensure that children receive care

 

education children-not-in-school-rev  

  • Establishment and facilitation of Child-Friendly Spaces to provide psychological support and encourage child participation
  • Provision of access to schools through partnerships to reduce the percentage of out-of-school children
  • Provision of remedial and integration training for school-aged children who are falling behind to benefit over 3,000 children

 

health World Vision Mobile Health Clinic 

  • Provision of remedial and integration training for school-aged children who are falling behind to benefit over 3,000 children
  • Provision of primary healthcare through the supply of medical kits, benefiting more than 16,882 people
  • Initiation of family health programmes and establishment of clinics in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to deliver over 30,000 consultations
  • Opening of Women and Young Children Spaces to promote breastfeeding and quality childcare practices

 

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SPOTLIGHT

World Vision’s Winter Response

  • Reached a total of 34,885 people, including 23,334 children in 4 countries
  • Winter clothing, fuel and cash were distributed to both refugees and families living in poor conditions
    • More than 21,000 pieces of winter clothing were distributed to Iraqi refugees in Jordan
  • More than 4,800 people received assistance in Lebanon and Syria, including 2,256 people who received relief items

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

HEA: Jordan RefugeesEven with the achievements in the past year, we remain cognizant of persistent needs. There are still many children and families who are waiting for assistance. Despite the increase in global awareness of the needs amongst refugees and displaced families, support for all children caught in the crisis is still inadequate. Help us to continue our work this year. World Vision aims to reach 2 million children and adults by 2017. We aim to:

  • Expand our support to communities inside Syria, focusing on reaching those in isolated and underserved areas
  • Expand into Turkey to help the Syrian refugees there, focusing on basic service provision to vulnerable groups
  • Continue to build partnerships with Syrian and local NGOs, communities, governments and the UN, as well as with the private sector
  • Continue to focus on the needs of children and youth

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Featured Story: Radwan
HEA: Jordan Refugees

Radwan lives in Jordan with his mother and siblings. His father was killed when he returned to look for work in their home country, Syria. Radwan’s diabetic mother is desperately in need of medication. The twelve-year-old works long hours at a construction site to put meals on the table, and pay the rent on their small apartment. It is an arduous job that involves lifting heavy cement blocks. Radwan has not been to school in four years.

 “There is no choice. I must bring in the money. This is the only way”

He is now enrolled in World Vision’s remedial education programme in Jordan. However, this is simply a temporary ‘catch-up’ alternative for school. Radwan’s days are spent at work, school and caring for his family. “I am always tired. I wish to have a normal life without problems. He wants to be a child. To help children like Radwan preserve their childhood, World Vision runs a No Lost Generation Programme in schools throughout Jordan, in addition to its remedial education programmes.

Q: Wasn’t there a London donor conference this year where a lot of funds were pledged towards this cause? Why do you still need my help?

A: There is still a desperate need for food, warm clothes, water, sanitation and hygiene in the various refugee shelters in and around Syria. The conflict’s long-drawn nature has rendered redevelopment and rehabilitation efforts vital to securing a better future for affected individuals. World Vision aims to meet the needs of children and youth through reintegrating them into society, re-enrolment into schools, and offering psychosocial support to affected children. Your partnership will contribute towards children’s sociocultural, psychosocial and physiological development.

Q: I saw your Cost of Conflict report. It’s been so long since the crisis started, and clearly, the world has incurred such costs over the past 5 years. Why should I still help?

A: To reverse the economic cost of conflict on Syria and the region, a large-scale reconstruction and long-term investment plan is required. However, in the short term, refugee host countries must fulfil recent commitments to enable local workers and refugees to access better opportunities in the formal economy and labour markets. In the long term, the social and physical infrastructure of Syria and of the region must be restored in order to lay a foundation upon which the future generation can rebuild. This is why World Vision’s current interventions in ensuring that Syrian children are educated and protected and Syrian families receive as much support as possible in terms of employment and health are so crucial. These will lead to a ready future generation to rebuild Syria as a peaceful society.

Q: Why should I help with World Vision interventions? Can I really make a difference?

A: Our partnership with stakeholders in the region prevents the wasteful duplication of resources. Furthermore, World Vision’s presence in the region, even before the onset of the crisis, has allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the local context. Dedicated local staff across the affected countries continue to contribute significantly towards World Vision’s impact in the region. Under its One Syria Response Strategy, World Vision aims to reach 2 million children and adults by 2017, especially those in isolated and underserved areas. In addition to expanding its support into areas around Syria, the project also targets children’s well-being and protection from diseases and infections. Your partnership with World Vision will help us to provide these basic services to vulnerable groups, including women, youth and children.

Written By: 
World Vision