Syrian Refugee Relief Fund

Around this time last month, hundreds of tents housing Yezidi refugees in northern Iraq burned to the ground after a massive fire broke out in the refugee settlement. Hundreds of families lost their homes after seven long years of genocide, forced displacement, and extreme violence against the Yezidi community for their religious beliefs.

Overlapping crises and instability have wreaked havoc on communities across Iraq. Conflict in Iraq and across the region, including the war in Syria, has led to massive displacement of families within and across borders. Your support is helping refugees recover from the devastating fire through the Free Yezidi Foundation. 

“While Yezidis desperately need the basics, like better shelter and basic provisions, they also need better tools for the future,'' Pari Ibrahim, founder of the Free Yezidi Foundation, said. “Trauma has been debilitating to the Yezidi community. Our clinical psychologists have identified very high levels of trauma throughout the entire community.”

To help the community heal from within, the Free Yezidi Foundation is finding success in having members of the community help facilitate the recovery process. 

“They learn the basics of psychological first aid and coping mechanisms. After that, they can show what they have learned, in their own language and in their own setting, to other members of the Yezidi society. We have found that this helps build community resilience and also empowers the Yezidi Harikara (helpers),” Pari said.

Pari told us a story about one of those helpers that we would like to share with you today:

“Despite all the pain and horrors, there are glimmers of hope. We worked with a Yezidi woman who was held in literal slavery by ISIS for more than a year. She suffered the worst crimes imaginable, including brutal sexual violence, and the men from her family were all murdered. We worked very hard to encourage her to come to our center and just spend time there, day by day. She worked closely with a clinical psychologist for many months. Later, she became a supporting instructor at our center....Nearly two years later, she was a transformed person. Of course, nothing can ever erase the trauma and the misery that she suffered. But through her own strength and the solidarity of her peers and other women at our center, she found the will to reclaim her life and start again.”

Her story of recovery is possible thanks to the hundreds of people like you that are supporting refugees through this fund. 

"One of the reasons your gift to the Syrian Refugee Relief Fund is so powerful is because it can be flexibly applied to address the greatest unmet refugee needs in Syria and neighboring countries. Crises in the region are interconnected and complex, and with GlobalGiving's adaptive grantmaking your support delivers greater local impact," Sandrina da Cruz,  GlobalGiving, said. 

I will leave you with this final quote from Pari:

“Hope is the resilience to build again after overcoming pain and suffering. Our programs exist to provide a place for that to happen.”

Until next time,
Sami + the GlobalGiving Team

We’ve passed a tragic milestone in the Syrian crisis. Syrian women, men, and children have had to endure the conflict and instability brought by the war for 10 years now. But last month, we also reached a significant milestone: raising more than $2 million to support the 19.8 million refugee families uprooted from their homes.

Since the start of the crisis, Syrian refugees have sought asylum in 130 countries. And since 2013, your donations have supported them. In the aftermath of the blasts in Beirut, Lebanon to the fires at refugee camps in Greece, our local partners have used your donations to serve those who need them the most. 

This past year has added complexity to everyone’s lives, including refugees whose journeys home are on hold as they pursue safety and security for their families. GlobalGiving partners are relentless in their efforts to meet these compounding challenges. Here’s how they’re continuing to bring relief and hope to the refugee communities they serve:

• Pomoc deci is bringing sunshine to the cold Serbian winters. For the last three months, the nonprofit has organized a series of winter-themed activities for Syrian children to unwind with their friends. The team at Pomoc Deci has been providing these kinds of psychosocial services for Syrian children and mothers in Serbia for years. “These families are without proper work, stuck in long-term transit which takes a serious mental toll,” Ljiljana Vasic, Pomoc Deci’s Director, said. Ljiljana and her team have adapted their services throughout the pandemic to ensure they can continue providing mental and emotional support to these families. 

• Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants is providing countless services across Turkey. The nonprofit operates 55 centers across the country that is currently hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees (3.6 million).  “We act as a bridge between host communities and refugees,” Buket Bahar Divrak, ASAM Deputy General Coordinator, said. The services offered at these centers ensure refugees with an illness or health complication such as COVID-19 or epilepsy, for example, can access the medical support they need.  

• Basmeh and Zeitooneh are meeting refugees where they are. Because the nonprofit works across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey, they’re able to direct donations to the most urgent needs. One of those places is Lebanon after the deteriorating economic crisis and last summer’s horrific Beirut Port explosions. Funds are being directed to the ongoing cost of operating two schools and getting food baskets, hygiene materials, and cash into the hands of impacted Syrian refugees. According to Fadi Hallisso, CEO of Basmeh and Zeitooneh, “the rapid devaluation of the currency in Lebanon is a serious problem” that is affecting their operations, the lives of refugees, and their team’s families.

Many of us are looking forward to some semblance of normality in our lives following this turbulent year. Yet, normalcy is still far off for millions of Syrians scattered across the world without access to basic necessities. We hope that by making these resources available, they will be closer to securing a safe and stable life for their families wherever they are now. 

Thank you for contributing to the livelihoods of so many Syrian women, men, and children and helping to keep the spark of hope alive.

In gratitude,

Sandrina + the GlobalGiving Team

Thanks to your ongoing generosity, nonprofits have been able to provide real and tangible relief during an incredibly strenuous time for Syrian refugees. 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Syrian refugees face compounding challenges that affect their basic needs and everyday lives. The fall season began with a heartbreaking string of fires that destroyed more than 12,000 refugee tents in the Moria refugee camp, the most populated refugee camp in Europe. Located on the Greek island of Lesbos, Moria is known for harsh living conditions such as severe water and soap shortages, spoiled food, and extreme overcrowding. But even at its worst, Moria provided shelter and necessities for those in need. After the fires, even these points of stability were unavailable. Many who live in the camp had to sleep in barricaded street zones or the woods after the crisis. 

GlobalGiving’s longtime partner IsraAID provided food and hygiene kits to families separated by the fires, including an IsraAID teacher at the Moria refugee camp. The teacher (who we will refer to as Osama) was confined to a barricaded police zone with his family after fleeing the fires. Osama’s family slept on the street for several days without sufficient access to food or hygiene supplies because of restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19. After days of close communication with Osama, the IsraAID team was finally able to deliver a box of essential items to him and his family. By working together with Osama, the team distributed more hygiene kits and offered psychosocial support interventions for other refugees.

Your donations helped provide 1,500 hygiene kits and 100 children’s activity packs to families like Osama’s. The activity packs offer more than just fun activities for the children—they are also a creative outlet and a healthy distraction from the difficult situations around them.

This is just one of many stories from our amazing partners on the ground. Thank you for continuing to support them. We look forward to sharing more examples of how your donations provide real, community-led relief in the coming months. 

With gratitude,

Sami + the GlobalGiving Team

Thank you for your continued generosity during these difficult times. 

As you know, Syrian refugees are facing immense challenges with the COVID-19 crisis, and now the Beirut port explosion is further threatening their safety and livelihoods. 

On August 4, an explosion was set off in an industrial neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon. At least 34 Syrian refugees were among the 200 killed, though UNHCR fears this number will rise. Though Syrian refugees are in the minority of people affected by the explosion, they face heightened risks because, without family ties, they are less likely to be searched for. The Lebanese government is making it increasingly difficult for these refugee families to receive aid, which further compounds the challenges they’re enduring with the ongoing pandemic.

Thankfully, our partners have quickly jumped to action to provide emergency supplies and support where it’s needed most. That’s why GlobalGiving recently made a round of emergency grants to support these organizations hard at work supporting Syrian refugees by:

Making sure basic needs are met

• Our friends at Insan Association are on the ground providing much-needed medicine and personal hygiene items. The staff is also cooking and distributing meals, giving mattresses and bedding to those who need it, and providing supplies to help new moms continue caring for their babies in the aftermath of the crisis.
• Nonprofit partner Developmental Action without Borders/Naba'ais supporting Syrian refugees, children, and elderly individuals by committing to meet the urgent and basic needs of 500 families in the wake of the explosion.

Providing home repairs and helping hands

• Leaders at TheNawaya Network are working tirelessly to provide basic home repairs for those that suffered damage from the blast. Staff is also distributing food throughout the community and helping to provide critical medical support for wounded individuals.

It’s no secret that our nonprofit partners are tuned in to their community’s needs and are doing all they can to provide vital support in this tumultuous time. This is why I must say once again: thank you for supporting a community-led approach to disaster recovery. We look forward to providing more updates on how your contribution is making an impact in the coming months.

With Gratitude, 

Claire + the GlobalGiving Team

COVID-19 has now been reported in more than 200 countries and territories, and there are more than 5.5 million confirmed cases of the virus around the world. More than 80% of the world’s refugees are hosted in low-to-middle-income countries, where many healthcare systems lack the capabilities to combat the virus on such a large scale. Additionally, typical accommodations in refugee camps make it nearly impossible for individuals to practice social distancing or quarantining. In the words of one nonprofit leader from Jafra Foundation for Relief and Youth Development, 

“For refugees, the virus has not only exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, but it has also created new ones.”

Disaster specialists at GlobalGiving recognize that this incredibly challenging time for refugees warrants a special response—so, with help from your generous donation, we made a round of emergency grants to 10 organizations in the Syrian Refugee Relief Fund. 

Here’s a highlight of how organizations are using emergency COVID-19 grants to keep refugee families safe and healthy during the crisis:

• Movement on The Ground: As one of the few organizations with permission to operate in Lesvos as well as Samos, Greece, Movement on The Ground is promoting proper hygiene and providing refugees with critical information on how to avoid infection of COVID-19.
• Jafra Foundation for Relief and Youth Development: Jafra has focused its response on disinfecting camps and gatherings in Syria and Lebanon, raising awareness on COVID-19 prevention and precaution methods, and distributing sewn face masks and much-needed food items.
• Near East Foundation (NEF): Members at NEF are on the ground in Syria coordinating with local health committees to provide COVID-19 education to local residents at two community livelihood centers. In Jordan and Lebanon, NEF staff is continuing to provide entrepreneurs with support for their small businesses and income-generating activities, despite many refugees already losing their jobs.
• Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM): Nonprofit leaders at ASAM are providing critical counseling services and awareness-raising activities to ensure that refugees can cope with the added stress of the virus as well as take the necessary protective measures to prevent further outbreaks.

We are incredibly grateful for your support—it is your generosity that is enabling us to partner with local organizations serving the most vulnerable in their communities. To learn more about GlobalGiving’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, see this letter from GlobalGiving CEO, Alix Guerrier.

Stay safe and take care,

Claire + the GlobalGiving Team