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 programmes 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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Jordan, Syria: Mothers coping with war: ‘I embrace them and tell them not to fear’ May 10, 2013
Over 75 percent of Syrian refugees are women and children. Find out how one mother is determined to help her children leave the trauma of war behind.
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Jordan, Syria: Life in Zaatari: An inside look April 19, 2013
Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp is filled with uniform rows of tent upon tent now housing an estimated 140,000 Syrians. What is it like there for families who don't know when they can return home?
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Lebanon, Syria: Regaining the hope of childhood April 15, 2013
Ghadan, 9, shares one of her drawings in the Comfort for Kids workbook. The signature Mercy Corps programme helps children process their trauma through creative expression and activities.
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Jordan, Syria: Finding joy on the playground April 11, 2013
Images from a recent visit to a Mercy Corps-built playground for refugee kids shows how their resilient spirit comes alive with a safe and happy place to play.
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Jordan, Syria: A child’s refuge from war April 10, 2013
Zeinab is a bright, wide-eyed girl I met at Dream Land, a Mercy Corps playground inside Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp. “I am happy here,” she said. “It’s better here because there is no war.”
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Jordan, Syria: A city rising from the desert April 8, 2013
Less than a year after opening, Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp is now housing more than 140,000 Syrian refugees, the equivalent of the country's fifth largest city.
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Jordan, Syria: Desperately seeking water April 4, 2013
The arrival of water trucks in Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp are a welcome sight for families who survive on limited rations. But the deliveries are simply not enough.
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Jordan, Syria: Moving forward from loss April 1, 2013
Each day, we meet Syrian families like the Al Husseins who have lived through tragedy that no one should have to, and they persevere.
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Jordan, Syria: Struggle in a temporary home March 28, 2013
Najwah and her husband Abad feel lucky to have found a temporary home in Mafraq, Jordan since they fled Syria with their children nine months ago.
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Jordan, Syria: Jordan's hospitality for hundreds of thousands of Syrians March 27, 2013
Recently I visited Mafraq, a border town that used to have a population of 60,000 people. Over the past 18 months, some 25,000 refugees have sought safety here.