Syrian refugee crisis: How you can help, where to donate

The number of migrants who have entered Europe by sea and land this year has passed 1 million, the International Organization for Migration said on Dec. 22, 2015. (Spencer Platt Getty Images)

More than 11 million Syrians are on the run, including close to 5 million who have been forced into neighboring counties.

Inside Syria, more than 6 million people are displaced, and more than 13 million are still in need of humanitarian assistance, according to Mercy Corps.

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Almost half of Syrians on the run are under the age of 18.

According to the U.N., it will take $7.7 billion to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable Syrians.

More than five years since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, more than 250,000 have been killed, half of whom are believed to be civilians. 

Other estimates put the death toll of the war to more than 400,000.

How to Help

Here are some of the places to donate (Source: PRI.org)

Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps  provides direct aid to Syrian refugees in the form of food and supplies, and by increasing access to clean water and sanitation, shelters, and safe spaces and activities for children.

UNICEF
The UN agency focuses on assisting Syrian children by providing healthcare, nutrition, immunization, water and sanitation, and classes.

Oxfam
Oxfam is provides aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. In Jordan's Zaatari Camp, home to 83,000 refugees, the nonprofit provides clean water, sanitation services, and hygiene education to help ward of cholera and other intestinal diseases.

International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps has had teams on the ground providing direct medical assistance to Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. One example of their work: In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, not from the war torn Syrian city of Aleppo, IMC helps run a service center for Syrian refugees that provides medical care, classes and job training.

Medical Teams International
Medical Teams International focuses on health and dental care for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.  Their volunteers “monitor chronic disease patients in their homes and provide families and communities with vital information on chronic disease recognition, management and disease prevention.”

Karam Foundation
A US-based charity that works in Turkey and is also focused on educational opportunities for Syrian children, currently raising funds to rebuild schools in Syria.

Hand in Hand for Syria
One of the few organizations that directly provides aid on the ground in Syria, including food, clothing, water, sanitation and crucial medical assistance to “help people to stay in Syria instead of fleeing to another country.” They accept donations via their page on JustGiving.com.

Save the Children
The charity provides emergency food for Syrian children, and supports education in Syrian refugee camps among other things.

Be an advocate: For years, countries in the Middle East have been sheltering the largest number of Syrians and Iraqis. CRS is calling on the United States to continue and expand humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in these countries, as well as those burdened by this new migration. Most importantly, the United States should lead concerted diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Syria.

Write an Email to Congress urging them to take up the cause.

Get informed: The more you learn about this crisis, the more you’ll understand its underlying causes and can spread the word. Some helpful resources below:

Syria's refugee crisis in numbers - Amnesty International

Syrian Regional Refugee Response - Sharing Portal

SyrianRefugees.eu

Lifeline Syria - timeline, facts and statistics 

 


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.