Syrian Refugee Relief Fund

Today, on World Refugee Day, we are witnessing the worst refugee crisis since World War II. When GlobalGiving created this relief fund in 2013, we couldn’t foresee that it would be even more necessary today, three years after its launch, than it was back then. There are currently more than 4.5 million Syrian refugees living in just five countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. While they hope to return to their homes in Syria, it doesn’t look like the political situation will change anytime soon, and the families you’ve supported are now faced with the reality that their current situation is likely to be the new normal for the foreseeable future.

I recently traveled to Turkey and Greece to visit some of the projects that you have been so instrumental in supporting. In Turkey, I met with two local organizations supported by Bridge to Turkiye—YUVA and SKYGD—which both focused on refugees’ profound need for access to education. Currently, only one in three Syrian refugee children is attending a school of any kind. The rest face language barriers and pressure to work to support families that have few means of supporting themselves. Bridge to Turkiye’s partners are working to provide education for children and vocational and language classes for adults new to their country.

In southeastern Turkey, I had the opportunity to visit refugee families living outside of formal camps in the city of Sanliurfa. Many of these families live so close to Syria that they can see their former homes in Kobani just over the border. One family invited me into their home. The father, Abdo, proudly pulled out a stack of academic accolades his daughters had earned back in their home in Aleppo. Two of his daughters, Eva in 9th grade and Hewa in 11th grade, explained what honors each of the certificates gave them. The largest one was awarded to Eva for being the top student in her class. Abdo explained that if he had one hope it would be that his children would have access to higher education, but the family’s current situation makes him feel hopeless. This family is living outside of the refugee camps. Despite the hardships that entails—if they lived in a camp they would be provided with free food, shelter, and healthcare— the family chooses to live in a nearby town where they have more freedom and life seems somewhat closer to normal. Concern Worldwide provides the family with a small stipend (about $15 per person) each month to help cover the necessities. They receive no other support.

Just north of Athens, I visited the Oinofyta camp run by the Greek Air Force. The camp currently houses just over 100 people and your donations have allowed Do Your Part to help provide healthcare to its residents and build classrooms, a sewing room, and gardens in the camp.

I also traveled to the northern border of Greece where I visited several informal refugee camps—groups of people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq who set up tents wherever they can. Two of the camps I visited were in gas station parking lots less than five minutes from the Macedonian border. “People like it here because there is access to water and they can buy things in the gas station shop,” my host explained to me. The rest were set up along the side of the road wherever there was available land. People were hopeful that they would one day be able to cross the border, and eventually get farther into Europe to set up a more permanent life with their families. The government doesn’t support these informal camps, but a few nonprofit organizations, including Circle of Health International, are providing health care, food, and other services.

The need to support refugees is great, and this situation only appears to be getting increasingly dire. In order to help meet the ongoing needs in these areas, we’ll be matching donations to refugee relief projects at 50% from July 12-August 16.