Syrian Refugee Crisis

THANK YOU

Because you generously give, families living amidst the Syria crisis have access to clean water and are slowly beginning to rebuild their lives.

Like many Syrian families, Um, her husband, and children, left all they knew— their home, belongings, schools, and work—to find safety from the violence of the ongoing civil war in Syria. Displaced, they traveled from village to village, host community to host community, seeking a safe place to live.

Finally, Um and her family found refuge in a village with an informal settlement in Azaz, Syria. But, there was insufficient water. And, families were required to pay for the limited water they received.

“You can’t live without water,” exclaimed Um. “Sometimes, if we didn’t have enough, we would have to cut down on other expenses, just to make sure we had enough that month.”

From October 2017 to March 2018, World Vision helped make water accessible to more families in the informal settlement, by ensuring the local water station was equipped to pump more water. Now, 50,000 residents in the village have access to clean water, including families living in the informal settlement. “Thank you so much for your efforts. I’m happy to know that now I have enough water to make sure my children are bathed and healthy.”

WORLD VISION PROVIDING ACCESS TO WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE

Today, with your help, World Vision provides aid to children and families in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, as well as Iraq, which also has suffered from conflict and humanitarian crises. Since the Syrian civil war began in March 2011, we have helped more than 2 million people in the region, including providing WASH services.

Just in the first half of fiscal year 2018, we improved the capacity of water networks in towns, villages, and cities, helping 505,641 people access clean water—including refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs). Also, more than 89,000 people in refugee camps and informal settlements were provided emergency water through services such as water trucking.

Our Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon WASH teams also made possible access to safe sanitation and hygiene.

Children Actively Learn Healthy Hygiene Habits, Thanks to You

Handwashing with soap is an effective way to prevent the spread of illnesses and viruses, helping to protect children’s health and survival. In the first half of FY18, with your support, World Vision joined with Royal Health Awareness Society to equip eight schools in Jordan with hygiene awareness training, manuals, student workbooks, and soap. Also, in Jordan, we provided the Sesame WASH UP! program to 958 children in the Azraq Refugee Camp. Kindergartners learned safe sanitation and hygiene lesson through games and stories that feature fun-loving Sesame characters, Raya and Elmo. “It’s important to keep our hands clean, especially after using the toilet, before and after each meal, and after playing outside,” said 12-year-old Randa. “This helps us avoid germs that can make us sick.” Today, Randa is a hygiene promoter, helping others at school to form good, lasting habits.