Syrian refugees in Lebanon
One and a half million refugees from Syria live in Lebanon – in crowded, makeshift camps and alongside poor Lebanese communities.
Although a swift lockdown has been largely successful in containing the virus, Lebanon’s economy was already in crisis, with unemployment surging and hospitals struggling to afford medicine or equipment.
The concern for the large refugee population is that social distancing, self-isolation, and frequent handwashing are nearly impossible in the communities where many refugees live. So our network of local experts are providing hygiene kits to vulnerable families to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Few cases have been reported in the camps so far, but many more could be going undetected, with some Syrians fearing deportation if they test positive for coronavirus.
An immediate challenge for homeless families is losing their income due to lockdown restrictions. They are now going hungry, getting further into debt, or both. Yasmin, one of our local experts, fears that “it’s going to get worse… whatever savings people have are lost.”
Your donations are providing life-saving support in the form of food kits, medical assistance, and emergency cash grants, which help families to buy what they need to survive this crisis.
South Sudanese refugees in Sudan
Millions of people fled the violence of the civil war in South Sudan and are living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Camps in Sudan are home to nearly 900,000 of these refugees. Until peace is established in South Sudan, they are unable to return home.
Our outreach workers are working alongside local organisations within nine refugee camps in the White Nile area of Sudan. With your support, they have worked quickly to prevent the spread of coronavirus and save lives.
There are currently no cases of coronavirus reported from the camps.