World Vision is urging the UK public to lend their support to the hundreds of thousands of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid that have been affected by the devastating conflicts across the Middle East. The fighting in Syria and Iraq is the main reason behind the refugee crisis that is affecting Europe today.
Tim Pilkington, chief executive of World Vision UK said: “Much of the focus on this refugee crisis has been on the Syrian conflict. We are deeply concerned that the UN appeal for the Syrian crisis has only been 37-per-cent funded; and this shortfall has led to drastic measures including cuts to food aid. Conditions for refugees, both in the camps and also in host communities in the Middle East, are deteriorating. Last month there was the highest number of civilian deaths in Syria and so people are continuing to arrive in countries like Jordan and Lebanon, which are already stretched to capacity.
“As we have seen, many are now coming to Europe; and World Vision has now extended its work into Serbia focusing on mothers and children, providing them with essentials such as nappies, soap, and other basic items. We urgently need supplies such as food, water and hygiene kits- so the UK public’s support would make a huge difference,” he said.
Struggling to cope
European policy makers are still struggling to come up with concrete solutions to deal with the massive influx of refugees. World Vision is urging European leaders to quickly reach an agreement on a long term plan that puts an emphasis on burden sharing and does away with policies that were devised from more conventional times.
Need a credible plan
Gavin Crowden, World Vision UK’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs says that European leaders can no longer deny the scale of the crisis and there needs to be a credible plan in place that is designed for the long term. Aid agencies such as World Vision want leaders to devise a strategy that prevents any further harm to children affected by the crisis that live either inside or outside the zone of conflict.
More funds are necessary
Countries in West Asia that host the majority of refugees are struggling to cope with the scale of the crisis. In Lebanon for example, nearly 25 per cent of its entire population are now refugees. There is unprecedented pressure being placed on infrastructure, schools and hospitals. The only way these countries can cope is with a better funded international response.
