12 years of civil war
The civil war in Syria has been raging since 2011. Twelve years, that have turned the country into rubble. The situation of the civilian population is more despairing than ever: Half a million people have lost their lives. Over 12 million Syrians have fled, of which half of them seek protection in neighbouring countries or in Europe. This means that Syria is still the world's largest country of origin for refugees.
Most of the infrastructure was destroyed by the fighting: roads, electricity and water lines, hospitals and schools are in ruins. Countless children and young people in Syria face a future of poverty and unemployment due to a lack of education. Already today, more than 90 percent of the people in Syria live below the poverty line. Crop failures, inflation and a lack of grain from Ukraine have also caused food prices to rise almost thirty-fold since the beginning of the war. Around 12.4 million people are currently suffering from hunger in Syria.
In addition, cholera outbreaks occur time and again, especially in the overcrowded refugee camps in the north-east. The camps are an ideal breeding ground for diseases. There is hardly any clean water, the hygiene conditions are catastrophic. The people are in urgent need of support.