Today marks the sixth anniversary of the Syrian refugee crisis.
Syria’s civil war has entered its seventh year, having claimed an estimated 500,000 lives and the displacement of 11 million Syrians, both internally within Syria and externally to other nations, making it the largest refugee displacement since World War II.
All too often, many of us cannot fathom how this displacement affects refugees on a day-to-day basis. Our partner, International Medical Corps (IMC), is marking this tragic anniversary by challenging us all to answer this simple, yet difficult question if we were faced with having to flee our homes: “What would you carry?”
Using an interactive experiential quiz, IMC takes us through challenging questions and difficult decisions that refugees often have to face in dire circumstances.
Despite challenging access to those displaced both inside and outside the country, IMC continues to provide comprehensive response programs in five countries—Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey—with the goal of leaving behind a more functional, resilient health system once the conflict ends and stability returns.
As Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, director of international programs at the Foundation expressed,
While the suffering of Syrian refugees continues, international humanitarian response increasingly falls short of what is needed to address their growing needs. With millions of refugees rapidly turning into a lost generation, it is vital to develop innovative communications campaigns such as this to bring more attention to the crisis.