Syrian refugee crisis
More than one million Syrians have fled the entrenched civil war in their country for the relative safety of neighbors like Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. The flow of refugees into camps and host communities continues to swell — far beyond initial expectations — and strain limited resources in the region.
Mercy Corps is helping 500,000 refugees and host community members in Jordan and Lebanon:
- Emergency needs: Providing families who left everything behind with essentials like clothing, blankets, mattresses and infant care supplies. We're also renovating buildings to provide safer shelter.
- Water: Digging wells to distribute water throughout Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp and renovating municipal water systems to support host communities long-term.
- Children: Providing playgrounds, sports activities and safe spaces for children to play at camps in Jordan. We're also leading support programs in Lebanon to help kids through trauma.
- Conflict mitigation: Working to ease tensions and promote cooperation between refugees and their host communities around shared resources and living conditions.
Read more details about our work with Syrian refugees in in Jordan and in Lebanon.
How You Can Help
Your support can help even more families get the water, shelter and support they need to survive this crisis and others around the world. Donate to our Humanitarian Response fund today ▸
All stories about Syrian refugee crisis
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Making the world's water go further March 22, 2013
Take a look at many of our programs and you’ll find a common theme: clean water is the foundation of change.
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Jordan, Syria: What will the future hold for Syria's young people? March 13, 2013
After seeing her son imprisoned and tortured while trying to escape Syria, one mother wonders what's next for her family now that they are reunited in the Zaatari refugee camp.
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Jordan, Syria: Syria refugee crisis becoming ‘unsustainable’ March 6, 2013
A visit to the Syrian refugee registration center in Jordan, which is receiving thousands of families who cross the border each day, highlights the urgent needs in this water-strapped country.
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Jordan, Syria: A new home full of warmth and laughter February 11, 2013
Meet one family who finally has protection from freezing temperatures thanks to Mercy Corps' winterization project in northern Jordan.
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Lebanon, Syria: Warm coats are a simple source of hope February 7, 2013
Jacket distributions in Lebanon are bringing smiles back to the faces of refugee children.
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Lebanon, Syria: New coats for Syrian refugee kids January 23, 2013
Our team distributed more than 1,600 jackets to help Syrian refugee children stay warm through the increasingly cold and wet winter in Lebanon.
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Jordan, Syria: Syrian refugees weather harsh winter far from home January 15, 2013
I visited Zaatari refugee camp last week, after winter storms brought further hardship to the more than 50,000 Syrian refugees who now call it home.
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Jordan, Lebanon, Syria: Syria: An ongoing crisis January 14, 2013
Refugee numbers are predicted to double as Syria's violent conflict drags on. We're on the ground in Jordan and Lebanon helping meet their most urgent needs for water, warmth and safety.
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Lebanon, Syria: Syrian refugees in Lebanon facing bitter winter January 9, 2013
A dramatic spike in refugees, who have fled Syria with what little they can carry in plastic bags, has increased the need for warm clothing, blankets and heaters.
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Jordan, Syria: A well of hope at Zaatari refugee camp January 4, 2013
“Everybody here is looking forward to having easier access to clean water,” Elena Buryan, head of Mercy Corps’ emergency response team in Jordan, told me as we walked through Zaatari followed by children.