Syrian Refugee Crisis

European Situation Update:

• 520,957 Refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea by October 1^st, 2015 as per report published by UNHCR.
• With the closing of the border between Serbia and Hungary, refugees changed their route towards Croatia. Croatia announced that 141,110 refugees entered the country since Hungary closed its borders.
• Refugees arrive to Serbia exhausted and stressed and in need of food, water, reception facilities and medical attention. Refugees that have the means to do so used to take buses to the northern border with Hungary while others start the journey on foot. With the closing of the border with Hungary, buses are taking people straight to the border with Croatia.
• Unaccompanied children, most of them above the age of 13, are also crossing the border into Serbia, usually in groups. They avoid being registered and they stay out of any established camps or reception centers. If they would be registered as unaccompanied children they would be taken care of by the Serbian social services, allocated guardians and would have to stay behind. Hence, they are very hard to identify or even locate as they often seek shelter in the woods or other remote areas. They are facing high levels of vulnerability and risk without adequate protection and support.

World Vision’s response in Serbia:

• World Vision started programming actions in Serbia in the week of September 8^th, delivering critical supplies and providing assistance to women with young children staying in designated camps set up by Serbian authorities, as well as to refugees at the Serbia borders with Croatia, Hungary and Macedonia.
• The first Child-Friendly Space (a safe place for children to play and receive psychosocial support) was opened, in partnership with UNICEF, on the border between Serbia and Croatia on October 4^th, 2015. The CFS was well attended by children and mothers who used the private space for children to play, mothers to breastfeed, change diapers & care for babies, rest, and change clothes.
• Response team is working hard to identify appropriate mobile solutions that meet complex needs of unaccompanied and separated children, with innovative plans to scale this up over the next few weeks. In addition to this, all distributions are taking into consideration most vulnerable groups including families, unaccompanied/separated children, pregnant and lactating women.
• With winter on our doorstep, this situation is deteriorating. As temperatures are decreasing, more and more days are rainy, while the numbers of refugees attempting to cross borders into neighboring countries is continuing to increase. WV is primarily concerned with the evident needs for child protection, winterization, and support to families, pregnant and lactating mothers, and other vulnerable groups. In order to respond to the needs of refugees during the cold season WV has put together a winterization plan and has started procuring winter kits containing blankets, rain coats, warm socks, hat & shawls for children, and shoes.

World Vision’s multi-country response in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq:

World Vision has been providing aid to Syrians refugees since 2011. More than 343,000 people benefited from activities like these in July alone:

Syria

• World Vision constructed a Women and Youth Center in the compound of a pediatrics and gynecological hospital. This center will be used to provide education and training on breast-feeding, adding healthy foods to an infant’s diet at the appropriate time, reproductive health/family planning, and other health basics.

• Food kits benefited 6,625 people as part of monthly rations in A’zaz.
• World Vision led the daily removal of garbage and cleaning latrines in Sijjo Camp.
• A water pump was installed in Sijjo Camp and latrines and showers were constructed at Al-Haramein Camp.

Jordan

• Hygiene kits were distributed to 250 households.
• A healthy food voucher program was developed for children in Azraq Camp.
• Remedial education classes were offered to Syrian children

Lebanon

•  Water trucks delivered drinking water, and staff provided training for water, sanitation, and hygiene committees as well as training on wastewater disposal in camps for displaced families.
• Early childhood education classes were offered in Bar Elias and Zahle, and four new sites were developed to provide healthy and safe environments for early learning and development.
• Psychosocial support sessions were offered to children ages 4 to 12 in Chebaa, Ebel El Saki, and Bent Jbeil.

Turkey

• 5,000 baby kits were delivered to a partner agency for distribution to refugee families.

Links:

• http://www.worldvision.org/our-impact/syrian-refugees