C H I L D R E N W H O A R E S Y R I A N R E F U G E E SP A R T O N E

5 Practical Ways to Help

A S S E S S I N G T H E S I T U A T I O N

G E T T H E B A L L R O L L I N G . . .

I N T R O D U C T I O N

I N O R D E R T O S E R V E C H I L D R E N W H O A R E S Y R I A N R E F U G E E S , W E N E E D T O U N D E R S T A N D T H E I R S I T U A T I O N F I R S T . P U T T I N G O N B L I N D E R S A N D L O O K I N G J U S T A T T H E I R I N D I V I D U A L S I T U A T I O N S W I L L N O T W O R K T O E N D T H E S E T R Y I N G T I M E S .

W E N E E D T O F O C U S O N T H E B I G P I C T U R E . W H O A R E T H E S E C H I L D R E N I N T E R A C T I N G W I T H ? W H E R E A R E T H E YC O N G R E G A T I N G ? H O W D O P E O P L E T A K E A D V A N T A G E O F T H E M ?

W H A T K E E P S T H E M F R O M G E T T I N G T H E S C H O O L , F O O D , A N D R E S O U R C E S T H E Y D E S P E R A T E L Y N E E D ? T H E S E A R E A L L G R E A T Q U E S T I O N S , B U T H E R E , I W I L L A D D R E S S O N E T H I N G : H O W C A N W E S T A R T A N D C O N T I N U E T O S E R V E T H E S E C H I L D R E N ?

Introduction

A C C O R D I N G T O T H E U N H C R ( U N I T E D N A T I O N S H I G H C O M M I S S I O N E R F O R R E F U G E E S ) , F O R E V E R Y 1 0 0 S Y R I A N R E F U G E E S , A P P R O X I M A T E L Y F O R T Y - E I G H T O F T H E M A R E M I N O R S .

H A L F O F S Y R I A ' S P O P U L A T I O N I S H O W M A N Y S Y R I A N R E F U G E E S T H E R E A R E , E Q U A L I N G A R O U N D 4 . 9 6 M I L L I O N P E O P L E .

C H I L D R E N A R E F O R C I B L Y E X P L O I T E D A N D D I S A D V A N T A G E D B E C A U S E O F T H E C I R C U M S T A N C E S T H E Y F A C E . S O M E C H I L D R E N A R E F O R C E D T O W O R K A L L D A Y I N S T E A D O F G O T O S C H O O L , S U C H L I K E A B O Y N A M E D A L I . A C C O R D I N G T O W O R L D V I S I O N , “ [ A L I ] S E L L S T I S S U E S O N T H E D A M A S C U S H I G H W A Y S O H I S F A M I L Y C A N P A Y R E N T . H E T R I E S T O B E A T O U G H G U Y , B U T S O M E T I M E S H E C R I E S W H E N P E O P L E O N T H E S T R E E T S A Y U G L Y T H I N G S T O H I M . ”

Assessing the Situation

S O U R C E S : H T T P S : / / D A T A . U N H C R . O R G / S Y R I A N R E F U G E E S / R E G I O N A L . P H P H T T P S : / / W W W . W O R L D V I S I O N . O R G / R E F U G E E S - N E W S - S T O R I E S / S Y R I A N - R E F U G E E - C H I L D - S T O R Y - 2 3 - P I C T U R E S

MEET ALIAli, a young Syrian refugee,

makes just enough money in

tissue sales along a nearby

highway to help his family

afford rent each month.

Children not only don’t get

to go to school, they have

barely anything to play with,

give them sensory

stimulation, or help them

build their imaginations.

(©2016 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-

stories/syrian-refugee-child-story-23-pictures

SEE THE KIDS

According to World Vision:

“These refugee children stole

a box and turned it into a car,

then they fought over it.

When they tear it up,

someone will take it away to

sell. Lots of kids collect

cardboard, drink cans, or

plastic bottles to sell.”

(©2016 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-

stories/syrian-refugee-child-story-23-pictures

SURVEY HOW

THEY LIVEChildren don’t even have a

secure structure to act as a

comforting roof over their

heads. Law enforcement is

nowhere to be found, leaving

them vulnerable to theft,

injury, or even death.

Cleanliness is also an issue.

Disease spreads rampantly in

these tent communities, and

clean living is completely out

of sight.

(©2016 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-

stories/syrian-refugee-child-story-23-pictures

HEAR THEIR CRIES

With such harrowing

circumstances, how can we even begin to help these destitute

children? (©2016 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-

stories/syrian-refugee-child-story-23-pictures

1 ) D O N A T E

T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O M M I T T E E O F T H E R E D C R O S S P R O V I D E S S E R V I C E S T O C H I L D R E N W H O A R E H U N G R Y A N D N E E D Y W H O A R E F A C I N G T H E T R A G E D I E S I M P O S E D O N P E O P L E D U R I N G T H E C U R R E N T S Y R I A N C I V I L W A R . Y O U C A N D O N A T E H E R E : R E S C U E . O R G / V O L U N T E E R .

2 ) V O L U N T E E R

A C C O R D I N G T O T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E S C U E C O M M I T T E E , Y O U C A N V O L U N T E E R Y O U R T I M E B Y , “ M E N T O R I N G R E F U G E E F A M I L I E S A N D I N D I V I D U A L S , A S S I S T I N G R E F U G E E S T O D E V E L O P E F F E C T I V E J O B S E E K I N G A N D I N T E R V I E W R E S U L T S , [ A N D ] H E L P I N G M A I N T A I N A N E W R O O T S G A R D E N , ” A T A N Y O N E O F T H E I R W O R L D W I D E O F F I C E S . F I N D O U T T H E P A R T I C U L A R S O F V O L U N T E E R I N G H E R E :   I C R C . O R G / E N / D O N A T E .

Get the Ball Rolling...

Come back next month for Part Two of "5 Practical Ways to Help Children Who are Syrian Refugees."

T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . .T H A N K Y O U F O R W A T C H I N G . - J O H N S L I F K O