EMERGENCIES

Syria Refugee Crisis

5.6 million refugees

More than half of all Syrians have been displaced by war — 6.6 million have been driven from their homes but remain in Syria.

Approximately 90%

Of Syrian refugees live outside of camps in makeshift shelters or urban areas, often in overcrowded and dangerous locations.

Turkey hosts 3.5 million

Millions of other Syrians refugees have found safety in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

Background

In March 2011, the Syrian government violently responded to public demonstrations in support of a group of teenage boys who were arrested for writing graffiti in support of the Arab Spring. Since then, more than half of all Syrians have been forced to flee their homes because of war — 5.6 million have fled the country and 6.6 million more have been driven from their homes but remain in Syria.

Syrians who remain in the country have a difficult time meeting basic needs, with humanitarian aid deliveries being challenged by armed conflicts and difficult terrain. UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi calls Syria "the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, a continuing cause for suffering."

Refugee Voices

VIDEO

A child as old as Syria's war (3:11)

How to Help Syrian Refugees

UNHCR is on the ground aiding Syrian refugees, but resources are stretched too thin. Your gift will offer hope for a safe future.

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Syria Refugee Crisis Explained

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Syrian refugee Alaa, 11, holds her 2-month-old sister Muna at their shelter in Azraq refugee camp.

The majority of Syria's refugees live in urban areas in the region, including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.
Approximately 10 percent of Syrian refugees live in camps.
Nearly 140,000 Syrians live in two camps: Za'atari refugee camp and Azraq refugee camp in Jordan.
Approximately 50 percent of all registered Syrian refugees are under the age of 18 – and millions have grown up knowing nothing but conflict.
In Lebanon, 70 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line and in Jordan, an astonishing 93 percent live below the poverty line.

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