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Quickfacts:WhatyouneedtoknowabouttheSyriacrisis
Iraq,Jordan,Lebanon,Syria,Turkey,September2,2015
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Editor'snote:ThisarticlewasoriginallypublishedAugust13,2013itwasupdatedOctober7,2015toreflectthe
latestinformation.
DonatetodaytohelpSyrianfamiliessurvivecrisisandrebuildtheirlives
Syriascivilwaristheworsthumanitariandisasterofourtime.Thenumberofinnocentcivilianssufferingmore
than11millionpeoplearedisplaced,thusfarandtheincreasinglydireimpactonneighboringcountriescan
seemtoooverwhelmingtounderstand.
Butonefactissimple:millionsofSyriansneedourhelp.Andthemoreawarepeopleareofthesituation,themore
wecanbuildaglobalresponsetoreachthem.Ourlifesavingworktoconnectpeopletotheresourcesthey
needtosurviveandhelptheircommunitiesthriveisonlypossiblewithyourknowledgeandsupport.
Signapetition:TellCongresswemustcontinuetosupportSyrianrefugees
Sotakeafewminutestounderstandthemagnitudeofthiscrisis.Readbelowtolearnthefactsbehindthefigures
andfindouthowyoucanhelp.

Whendidthecrisisstart?
AntigovernmentdemonstrationsbeganinMarchof2011,partoftheArabSpring.Butthepeacefulprotests
quicklyescalatedafterthegovernment'sviolentcrackdown,andrebelsbeganfightingbackagainsttheregime.
ByJuly,armydefectorshadlooselyorganizedtheFreeSyrianArmyandmanycivilianSyrianstookuparmstojoin
theopposition.DivisionsbetweensecularandIslamistfighters,andbetweenethnicgroups,continuetocomplicate
thepoliticsoftheconflict.
WhatishappeningtoSyrianscaughtinthewar?
Morethanfouryearsafteritbegan,thefullblowncivilwarhaskilledover220,000people,halfofwhomare
believedtobecivilians.Bombingsaredestroyingcrowdedcitiesandhorrifichumanrightsviolationsare
widespread.Basicnecessitieslikefoodandmedicalcarearesparse.
TheU.N.estimatesthat7.6millionpeopleareinternallydisplaced.Whenyoualsoconsiderrefugees,morethan
halfofthecountrysprewarpopulationof23millionisinneedofurgenthumanitarianassistance,whetherthey
stillremaininthecountryorhaveescapedacrosstheborders.
InOctober,RussiabeganlaunchingairstrikesatISIStargetsinSyria.ThiswilllikelypromptevenmoreSyriansto
fleeforsafetyandwillmakedeliveryofhumanitarianaidtoSyrianciviliansmoredifficult.Theairstrikeswilllikely
haveamajorimpactonthebalanceofpowerinAleppocityandtheNorthAleppogovernorates,bothplaces
whereMercyCorpshasdeliveredaidforthepastthreeyears.
TheabilitytoprovidelifesavingaidthroughouttheregionisseverelyjeopardizedasMercyCorpsbalancesthe
urgentneedtobothprotectvaluablesuppliesforunforeseenemergenciesandrampupdistributionstothosein
need.Wearestockingupsuppliesinareaswhereciviliansmaybecutoffandstrategicallyrepositioningourstaff.
TestyourknowledgeabouttheSyrianrefugeecrisis.
Wherearetheyfleeingto?
ThemajorityofSyrianrefugeesarelivinginJordanandLebanon,whereMercyCorpshasbeenaddressingtheir
needssince2012.Intheregionstwosmallestcountries,weakinfrastructureandlimitedresourcesarenearinga
breakingpointunderthestrain.
InAugust2013,moreSyriansescapedintonorthernIraqatanewlyopenedbordercrossing.Nowtheyare
trappedbythatcountry'sowninsurgentconflict,andIraqisstrugglingtomeettheneedsofSyrianrefugeesontop
ofmorethanonemillioninternallydisplacedIraqiseffortsthatweareworkingtosupport.
AnincreasingnumberofSyrianrefugeesarefleeingacrosstheborderintoTurkey,overwhelmingurbanhost
communitiesandcreatingnewculturaltensions.MercyCorpsisworkingintheseareasaswelltohelpfamilies
meettheirbasicneedsandfindwork.
HundredsofthousandsofrefugeesarealsoattemptingthedangeroustripacrosstheMediterraneanSeafrom
TurkeytoGreece,hopingtofindabetterfutureinEurope.Notallofthemmakeitacrossalive.Thosewhodo
makeittoGreecestillfacesteepchallengesresourcesarestrainedbytheinfluxandservicesareminimal.
Learnhowwe'resupportingSyrianrefugeesthroughouttheregion
Howarepeopleescaping?
ThousandsofSyriansfleetheircountryeveryday.Theyoftendecidetofinallyescapeafterseeingtheir
neighborhoodsbombedorfamilymemberskilled.
Therisksonthejourneytothebordercanbeashighasstaying:Familieswalkformilesthroughthenighttoavoid
beingshotatbysnipersorbeingcaughtbysoldierswhowillkidnapyoungmentofightfortheregime.

Howmanyrefugeesarethere?
FourmillionSyrianshaveregisteredorareawaitingregistrationwiththeUnitedNationsHighCommissionof
Refugees,whoisleadingtheregionalemergencyresponse.

Everyyearoftheconflicthasseenanexponentialgrowthinrefugees.In2012,therewere100,000refugees.By
April2013,therewere800,000.Thatdoubledto1.6millioninlessthanfourmonths.Therearenowfourmillion
Syriansscatteredthroughouttheregion,makingthemtheworld'slargestrefugeepopulationundertheUnited
Nations'mandate.
Atthisrate,theU.N.predictstherecouldbe4.27millionSyrianrefugeesbytheendof2015theworstexodus
sincetheRwandangenocide20yearsago.
Doallrefugeesliveincamps?
Theshortanswer:no.
JordansZa'atari,thefirstofficialrefugeecampthatopenedinJuly2012,getsthemostnewscoveragebecauseit
isthedestinationfornewlyarrivedrefugees.Itisalsothemostconcentratedsettlementofrefugees:
Approximately81,500SyriansliveinZa'atari,makingitthecountrysfourthlargestcity.Theformerlybarrendesert
iscrowdedwithacresofwhitetents,makeshiftshopslineamainstreetandsportsfieldsandschoolsare
availableforchildren.
Anewcamp,Azraq,openedinApril2014,carefullydesignedtoprovideasenseofcommunityandsecurity,with
steelcaravansinsteadoftents,acampsupermarket,andorganized"streets"and"villages."
Seewhatrefugeesbroughtwiththemfromhome
BecauseJordanscampsarerunbythegovernmentandtheU.N.withmanypartnerorganizationslikeMercy

Corpscoordinatingservicestheyoffermorestructureandsupport.Butmanyfamiliesfeeltrapped,crowded,
andevenfartherfromanysenseofhome,sotheyseekshelterinnearbytowns.
Iraqhassetupafewcampstohousetheinfluxofrefugeeswhoarrivedin2013,butthemajorityoffamiliesare
livinginurbanareas.AndinLebanon,thegovernmenthasnoofficialcampsforrefugees,sofamilieshave
establishedmakeshiftcampsorfindshelterinderelict,abandonedbuildings.InTurkey,themajorityofrefugees
aretryingtosurviveandfindwork,despitethelanguagebarrier,inurbancommunities.
Readmore:Refugeesforcedtoshelterinunlikelyplaces
Thefactis,themajorityofrefugeesliveoutsidecamps.
Whatconditionsarerefugeesfacingoutsidecamps?
SomeSyriansknowpeopleinneighboringcountrieswhotheycanstaywith.Butmanyhostfamilieswerealready
strugglingonmeagerincomesanddonothavetheroomorfinancestohelpasthecrisisdragson.
Refugeesfindshelterwherevertheycan.Ourteamshaveseenfamilieslivinginroomswithnoheatorrunning
water,inabandonedchickencoopsandstoragesheds.
Seephotos:8importantthingsSyrianshavelosttowar
Mostrefugeesmustfindawaytopayrent,evenforderelictstructures.WithoutanylegalwaytoworkinJordan
andLebanon,theystruggletofindoddjobsandacceptlowwagesthatoftendontcovertheirmostbasicneeds.
ThesituationisslightlybetterintheKurdishAutonomousregionofnorthernIraq,whereSyrianKurdscanlegally
work,butopportunitiesarenowlimitedbecauseoftheconflictthere.Andlanguageisstillabarrier.
Thelackofcleanwaterandsanitationincrowded,makeshiftsettlementsisanurgentconcern.Diseaseslike
choleraandpoliocaneasilyspreadevenmorelifethreateningwithoutenoughmedicalservices.Insomeareas
withthelargestrefugeepopulations,watershortageshavereachedemergencylevelsthesupplyisaslowas30
litersperpersonperdayonetenthofwhattheaverageAmericanuses.
ReadourreportaboutthewatershortageinJordan:TappedOut
Theyoungestrefugeesfaceanuncertainfuture.Someschoolshavebeenabletodividetheschooldayintotwo
shiftsandmakeroomformoreSyrianstudents.Butthereissimplynotenoughspaceforallthechildren,and
manyfamiliescannotaffordthetransportationtogettheirkidstoschool.
Howmanyrefugeesarechildren?
AccordingtotheU.N.,morethanhalfofallSyrianrefugeesareundertheageof18.Mosthavebeenoutofschool
formonths,ifnotyears.

Theyoungestareconfusedandscaredbytheirexperiences,lackingthesenseofsafetyandhometheyneed.
Theolderchildrenareforcedtogrowuptoofast,findingworkandtakingcareoftheirfamilyindesperate
circumstances.
Seetheirartandphotos:Whatit'sliketogrowupasarefugee
Watchvideostheymade:Leavinghomebehind
Isthereenoughassistancetoreacheveryone?
InDecember2014,theU.N.issueditslargesteverappealforasinglecrisisaccordingtotheirestimates,$8.4
billionisnecessarytomeettheneedsofallthoseaffectedbythecrisis,bothinsideandoutsideSyria,anincrease
fromlastyear's$6.5billion.Yetthatpreviousappealwasonlyfundedlessthan50percent.
Manyhumanitarianorganizations,includingMercyCorps,arepartneringwiththeU.N.,usingbothprivate
contributionsandfundingfromtheinternationalcommunitytoactivelyaddresstheneedsofSyrianscaughtinthis
terribledisaster.Butsomuchmoremustbedone.
Whatcanwedotohelp?
MercyCorpsiscurrentlyaddressingtheurgentneedsof3.7millionpeoplebothinsideSyriaandinneighboring
countries.
Wearedeliveringfoodandcleanwater,improvingsheltersandprovidingfamilieswithclothes,mattressesand
otherhouseholdessentials.Wearehelpingchildrencopewithtraumaandleadingconstructiveactivitiestonurture
theirhealthydevelopment.Andwearefocusedonhelpinghostcommunitiesandrefugeesworktogetherto
mitigatetensionsandfindsolutionstolimitedresources.
Weveworkedintheregionfor20yearsandarecommittedtohelpingSyriansandthecountrieshostingthemfor

aslongasittakes.
Butasthenumberofthoseinneedkeepsincreasing,yoursupportwillallowusdoevenmore.Hereshowyou
canmakeadifferenceforSyrianrefugees:
Donatetoday.Everysinglecontributionhelpsusprovideevenmorefood,water,shelterandsupporttoSyrian
familiesandfamiliesincrisisaroundtheworld.
Tellyourfriends.SharethisstoryorgotoourFacebookpagetoposttheinfographicandspreadtheword
aboutthemillionswhoneedus.
Startacampaign.Youcanturnknowledgeintoactionbysettingupapersonalfundraisingpageand
askingyourfriendsandfamilytocontributetooureffortstohelpSyriansfleeingthewar.
Signapetition.TellcongressthatwemustcontinuetosupportSyrianrefugees.Addyournametothelist
tostandinsupportwithrefugees.

Readmore:
Iraq,Jordan,Lebanon,Syria,Turkey,Syriacrisis,Syria'schildren,Emergencyresponse,allstories

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