Syria Regional Refugee Response

Over 5.6 million refugees have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and beyond. After almost six years of war in Syria, refugee vulnerabilities and poverty are on the rise, the impact on host communities continues to grow, and funding for the humanitarian response is not keeping up with the needs

South Sudan

The situation in South Sudan and neighbouring countries has quickly escalated into a full-blown humanitarian emergency. The majority of the refugees are women and children, many of whom flee across the border alone. Often, they arrive weak and malnourished. When the rainy season comes, their needs are compounded by flooding, food shortages and disease. Inside South Sudan, nearly two million people are displaced internally, while outside the country there are now over two million South Sudanese refugees, mainly in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. Many fear imminent attack or struggle with food insecurity. Uganda currently hosts the most South Sudanese refugees, having taken in more than one million.

DRC Situation

The on-going conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have caused and continue to cause internal and external displacement of populations. In 2017, some 100,000 Congolese fled to neighbouring countries as refugees, due to widespread militia activities, unrest and violence, joining the 585,000 already in exile. The security conditions in DRC, especially in the eastern and central parts have continued to worsen since the beginning of 2018. Because of this, the Congolese refugee population is now among the ten largest in the world. Nearly 55 per cent are children, many crossing borders unaccompanied or separated. Existing camps and sites in many asylum countries are saturated, and available basic services are stretched to the limit. The situation requires support, adequate resources and collaboration so that effective protection and assistance can be delivered efficiently to Congolese refugees.

Response for Venezuelans

Growing numbers of Venezuelans continue to leave their country, with public estimates in receiving countries totaling between hundreds of thousands to over one million. Between 2014 and 2017, over 145,000 asylum claims were lodged globally, half of which in 2017 alone (as of September). Over 444,000 Venezuelans have been granted an alternative form of legal status in their host countries, allowing them to remain there legally and to access basic rights and services.