Syrian refugees are stranded in squalid conditions in Europe, Turkey and the middle East, while Syrian civilians are stranded in their homeland at the closed borders unable to escape the violence and chaos in the conflict zones.
“Of particular concern for Oxfam are over 70,000 people trapped at the Syria-Jordan border that is now closed, we’re also seeing hundreds of thousands of people trying to enter Turkey and being prevented to do so” says Melanie Gallant, of OXFAM Canada.
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‘The reality is that hundreds of thousands more are still living under military sieges in Syria… either imposed by the government and its allies, or armed opposition groups, or ISIS.” Gallant says.
This is the new reality in 2017 with the EU, the UK and the United States issuing decrees halting refugee resettlement.
“They’re struggling every day just to survive.”
Oxfam has been working to guarantee the supply of water, for both consumption and household needs. And it has devoted resources to repairing the wells and infrastructure that supply water.
“A young boy named Hassan, told Oxfam in Aleppo, that he’s spending up to three hours every day doing multiple trips just to fetch water for himself and a younger sister and his mother who’s now not able to move about herself.”
Meanwhile Unicef released figures today that indicate 2016 was the year when the most children died in the conflict, so far. It is estimated 652 children were killed, many of them near schools, but the figures could be much higher.
Gallant says that life for the children in Syria is a misery. “Not going to school, not accessing an education and spending their childhood struggling just to find water and food for themselves and their families.” She says “they’re struggling every day just to survive.”
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