Should I stay under bombs? Or should I flee into the unknown?
3 million people in Idlib, Syria face this question today. Right now. Most are citizens caught up in a deadly contest for control of this ancient agricultural province — waiting out what the United Nations has called the last battle of the Syrian conflict. Intermittent cease-fires since September of 2018 gave some respite, but now fighting is escalating nightmarishly.
There aren’t enough doctors. There isn’t enough water. There aren’t enough shelters from the heat. Summer is hot — temperatures hover near 100 degrees. 330,000 people are fleeing Idlib. Right now.
We’ll be on the road to meet them. Will you be there with us
Our team is setting up 9 passage shelters for families running from terrific violence. These safe havens will provide fresh water, nutritious food, and clean clothing.
Summer heat and unsanitary conditions in temporary, makeshift camps led to outbreaks of hepatitis and diarrhea, especially in children. So, each of our shelters will have 5 doctors and nurses offering emergency care — through a network of helpers currently providing some of the most reliable medical care in the Idlib area.
We focus on responding to children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Not everyone will be able to make it on their own to our shelters. So, we’ll go to them. Our mobile response teams are trained in first-response medical care and trauma support.
It’s totally unclear if the increased violence over the past month will turn into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe. But we will be ready if it does. And for those already in a catastrophe, on the road, we will be there. Today. Now.
One of the most effective ways you can be there with us is to give monthly support for our teams. Knowing of your regular gifts helps us plan for the weeks and months ahead — to move nimbly and quickly in very volatile circumstances.
Your generosity makes it possible for us to meet the real needs of real people in real time. And for people who lost so much, so many times, it means everything to know that you'll be there waiting for them with us.
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