Dear John,
Ten years ago, I was there at the start of the Syria crisis in northern Lebanon, receiving the first hundreds of Syrian refugees fleeing across the border, seeking safety. I never would have imagined then, that ten years of devastating crisis later, life is more difficult than ever for displaced Syrians. COVID-19 has exacerbated their daily challenges, turning this health pandemic also into a pandemic of poverty. 2021 could prove to be the most difficult year for them so far. Too many of them are at a breaking point.
COVID-19 is having a disastrous impact on the lives of vulnerable Syrians. Today, more than 70% of the 5.5 million Syrian refugees hosted by countries neighbouring Syria live in pure poverty. More and more parents are struggling to feed their families. Less and less children are able to go to school.
UNHCR teams have been working in Syria and in the surrounding countries to support displaced Syrians and their families for 10 years, since that start of the crisis I still remember so vividly.
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