The largest humanitarian crisis of our generation

“Syria in Crisis” – sadly, this phrase is very common at the moment. So much so that it just seems to be a part of the fabric of global society now, and just another one of those big problems in a country far away that is too big to fix… so now it doesn’t even get much coverage on prime time TV news, doesn’t make the front page of papers, is shoved in some ‘global news’ category deep within the news websites. And so we, in our busy lives, as we just mange to scrape the surface of current affairs and glean what is interesting and relevant to us from the mass of information going around, forget about what UNICEF have called “The largest humanitarian crisis of our generation”…

Now that’s a big call. But I think if anyone would know, UNICEF would… so I think we all need to dig a little deeper and take notice, or more appropriately… take action.

WFP have helpfully given a short overview for us to better understand the situation:

“Conflict in Syria has forced millions of people to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis in which food is a top priority. WFP aims to bring food assistance to up to 6.5 million Syrians between now and the end of the year. These include 4 million people inside Syria – on both sides of the front lines – and 2.5 million refugees in neighbouring countries.”
Source: http://www.wfp.org/crisis/syria

I always find the raw facts very challenging, so here’s a few to consider:

A year ago, 1 million Syrians were in need of humanitarian assistance – now 8.8 million people are affected.

Today, there are 2 million Syrian refugees. By December, there may be 3.4 million.

At the current rate, half of the population of Syria will be displaced by the end of the year.

About 4,400 refugees flee into neighboring countries every day.

By the end of the year, the population of Lebanon will have increased by 25 percent.

The lives of 4 million children are devastated and an entire generation is at risk.

Source: https://www.care.org/emergency/syrian-refugees-in-jordan/

Enough said I think.

Here’s some great ways you can take action:

“…an entire generation is at risk.”

As you’d expect with a crisis of this magnitude, pretty much every aid organisation is active in providing ways to support the people of Syria. I generally like to support those organisations who are active on the ground, in the thick of the situation – so here are a few doing great work in and around Syria, and a few other unique ways to take some action:

WFP – Always on the ground and doing great work. Take the WFP Quiz and provide food for a family: http://quiz.wfp.org/syria?leadsource=crisispagesyria. Find out more and donate: http://www.wfp.org/crisis/syria

UNICEF – similar to WFP, UNICEF are always in the thick of a humanitrian crisis. Go to: http://www.unicef.org.au/Donate/One-off-Donation/Syria-Crisis-Appeal.aspx

CARE – They are running some great programs in Jordan to support the refugees. I love the ‘What would you take with you’ feature on their website.. gives great insight into the loss most have experienced. Visit: https://www.care.org/emergency/syrian-refugees-in-jordan/

World Vision seem to be very active on the ground – http://www.worldvision.com.au/Issues/Emergencies/Current_Emergencies/Syria_refugee_crisis.aspx

ABC Australia is currently running an appeal for Syria: http://www.abc.net.au/appeals/

Take the quiz and share it at the very least, and certainly donate away to your favourite organisation. But this crisis certainly won’t be over anytime soon, so I think prayer is going to be one of the most powerful things you can do to support the millions affected. Don’t let this major crisis fly under the radar for you – take some action today, keep up to date with the ongoing crisis and pray…