Washington, DC, March 5, 2020 —  The Global Emergency Response Coalition has entered the final week of its emergency appeal to help Syrians currently enduring unimaginable suffering. Nearly one million people have been displaced in Northwest Syria since December 2019 and the situation continues to grow more dire by the day. Syrians need our help right now – it’s life or death for children and families who are starving, freezing, and without access to proper shelter. The Coalition is asking Americans to step up and donate to help Syrians who remain on the run in search of safety.  

After almost nine years of civil war, Syrians are now facing some of the greatest risks and worst conditions of one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Homes, hospitals, and schools are being bombed. Over 80 healthcare centers in the region have paused operations since December – stranding Syrians without access to the life-saving medical care and supplies they so desperately need. An average of 11,000 Syrians a day are fleeing in the Northwest, a symptom of the brutal unrest that has infiltrated every aspect of life across the country.

“Displaced parents are unable to provide their children with life’s basic necessities,” said Gwen Young, Managing Director of the Global Emergency Response Coalition. “A brutal winter is only exacerbating the crisis as families try to keep their children safe and warm – a near impossibility due to deteriorating conditions. Even humanitarian workers are under siege as they try to navigate the ongoing violence like every other civilian.”

This is the largest displacement of civilians in the history of the Syrian conflict, a testament to the true horror of the conditions families and children face on a daily basis. To make matters worse, the attacks on schools, hospitals, and other facilities have continued, leaving civilians to carry the weight in the aftermath, and a newly opened border between Turkey and Greece won’t help those Syrians who are stuck inside their country with nowhere else to go. Syrians’ lives as they know them will never return to normal if the international community does not step up. 

The Coalition, including CARE, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Plan International USA, Save the Children, and World Vision, first joined forces in 2017 to bring attention to and increase funding for the East Africa Hunger Crisis. In 2019, the Coalition relaunched to help save more lives by inspiring donors in the United States and quickly getting them involved when disasters strike. 

This is only the second time the Coalition has launched a joint appeal – that’s how desperate Syria’s situation is. Right now, the Coalition’s members are on the ground in Syria working together and with local partners to provide immediate assistance, including basic needs like shelter, food, water, and protection.

“Americans can’t look away anymore,” explains Young. “Now’s the time to make a difference for some of the most vulnerable humans on earth. They want to stop running and find safety for their families and children – but they need our help to do so.”

The crisis in Syria is grim – but all hope is not lost. Americans have the power to change the course of history by donating to the Coalition’s appeal. Increased funding can radically alter the lives of Syrians facing some of the darkest days human beings can face. Children and families are depending on us.

This joint fundraising appeal lasts through March 10. Donations to support the Coalition can be made at www.globalemergencyresponse.org/donate. 

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About the Global Emergency Response Coalition

The Global Emergency Response Coalition is a lifesaving humanitarian alliance made up of leading U.S.-based international aid organizations. When disaster strikes, the Coalition mobilizes to help children and families in urgent need. By working together, we can increase awareness and funds to deliver emergency relief quickly and efficiently to save lives and help rebuild communities.