WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SYRIA?
The conflict in Syria dates back to March 2011.
It started out as a peaceful protest, with public demonstrations calling for democratic reforms. But the peaceful demonstrations were met by swift government opposition, eventually giving way to a brutal war.
Eleven years later, the Syrian conflict has shifted into a seemingly unsolvable crisis, leaving a country scarred by terror and instability. Right now, at least 13 million people within Syria need humanitarian assistance.
12 YEARS OF CONFLICT
The Syrian crisis has been ShelterBox’s largest and most sustained response in our history. As we mark this tragic milestone, more than 13 million people have been displaced by the conflict.
News of the conflict rarely makes headlines, but it rages on. And the political stalemate means the future is as uncertain as ever. As the fighting continues, millions of displaced Syrians face brutal winters, floods that wash away shelters, financial issues and the additional threat of coronavirus.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO PEOPLE FACE?
FINANCIAL CRISIS
Financially, Syria is on its knees. The Syrian pound has halved in value and widespread sanctions affect the flow of money coming into the country.
Basics like fuel, food and medicines are now out of reach for people who were already struggling to access them. The cost of a food basket, for example, has increased by 236% in just 12 months.
The mitigations we’re familiar with at home, such as widespread lockdowns, social distancing and enhanced hygiene measures, are almost impossible in a fractured country, where millions are displaced and living in emergency shelter, with little or no sanitation.
EXTREME WEATHER
Syria faces extreme heat in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter. Just this February, days of heavy rain caused widespread floods in the northwest of Syria, destroying thousands of tents and soaking families’ possessions.
Without warm clothes, blankets and proper insulation, families have no choice but to group together in shared shelters to ensure they survive the winter.
HOW ARE WE HELPING FAMILIES?
We are providing shelter for families who have been forced to leave their homes due to the conflict in Syria.
When families are far from home, and traumatized from their experiences, having a safe place to call home is invaluable.
More than 400,000 people in the region have received ShelterBox aid since we first responded to the crisis in December 2012. This makes it the largest, most sustained response in our history.
And since spring 2020, ShelterBox has been incorporating items like soap, handbasins and face masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
OUR AID ITEMS IN SYRIA
- When families lose their homes, we provide tents for people who were previously sleeping in the open.
- In winter we provide items like winter clothing, high thermal blankets, mattresses and sometimes stoves to help combat the freezing temperatures.
- Some of our solar lights also come with a USB port to charge phones and maintain vital communication between families.
Working with Partners
Our partners help us provide aid in some of the most remote and dangerous conflict zones around the world.
In Syria, we’re working with ReliefAid and Bahar Organization to get our aid to those who need it the most.
But what motivates these extraordinary individuals to risk their lives to deliver aid in such dangerous circumstances?
Meet Farid and find out what life looks like for aid workers in Syria.
Who We're helping
Hamda is just one of the millions of people who have fled the conflict. It broke her heart to say goodbye to her home, ‘it felt so bad to leave my house…it was destroyed, robbed and looted’.
She now lives in a camp for internally displaced people with her children. But Hamda told us that life is very difficult, with temperatures reaching sub-zero over winter.
We were able to provide her family with a tent and ShelterBox filled with essential items. ‘Thank God you have provided us with blankets’.
How Can You Help?
TEN YEARS OF CONFLICT HAS LEFT MILLIONS OF SYRIAN FAMILIES HOMELESS. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
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