Syria: Four million refugees

July 9, 2015 - The Syria crisis reached a troubling milestone today. There are now over four million Syrian refugees, and more than half of those are children.

As time marches on, the number of refugees increases and funding cuts continue, more and more Syrian families have to make difficult decisions such as sending their children to work to help the family survive, skipping meals to make limited food rations last or entering their children into marriage so there’s one less mouth to feed.

Sadly, children often bear the brunt of these tough choices - Brian Jonson

The vast majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan live outside refugee camps – around 440,000 people (total Syrian refugee population in Jordan is around 629,000). Unless the World Food Programme (WFP) receives critical funding immediately, those 440,000 people will no longer receive food assistance starting from August. Syrian refugees living outside camps in Jordan were informed of the cut on 1 July. 

The original value of the WFP food voucher in Lebanon was $27 US per person per month. This was calculated to be sufficient for a person to buy enough food to get the minimum calories and nutrients to survive each month. The amount was then reduced to $19 US and then again to $13.50 US. With every food cut, families have to make difficult choices around the variety of food purchased and the frequency of meals.

"We’ve already seen many families in our programs reducing their portion sizes, eating fewer meals per day and taking on debt as a result of previous food cuts, but these new measures could have profound consequences if urgently needed funding isn't provided," said Wynn Flaten, World Vision Syria Response Director.

Many refugee families will withdraw their children from school and send them to work just to help the family survive. Around 34,000 Syrian children are currently not in school in Jordan and around 285,000 Syrian children are not in school in Lebanon, World Vision is concerned that number will rise as a result of the food cuts.

"Sadly, children often bear the brunt of these tough choices,” says Brian Jonson, World Vision International Regional Communications Director.

RELATED LINKS

• World Vision's Early Childhood Education centre keeps refugee children learning in Lebanon
• Refugees vulnerable: Report shows Syrian crisis is massively underfunded
• VIDEO: Syrian children in Lebanon draw their dreams

World Vision has been responding to the needs of children and families affected by the crisis since 2011. We are currently working to serve those displaced within Syria and Iraq, as well as those who have sought refuge in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan.