Save Fragile Lives - World Refugee Day

“We were in our village when the missiles and bombs hit. All the houses were destroyed. An explosion happened at the back of the school. I could hear loud screaming from the pain.”
For Shaima, a girl from Syria, a normal day turned into a nightmare in an instant. Forced to leave home behind, Shaima’s family fled 72 kilometres through the desert to seek refuge in Jordan. Her sister tragically did not survive the journey.
Like Shaima, 28 million* children worldwide are forced to become refugees because of war and violence in some of the most dangerous places on Earth. On World Refugee Day, held every year on 20 June, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of these millions of children.
Living in Dangerous Places
There are places in the world that are far too dangerous or unstable for us to set up child sponsorship programmes. Known as fragile contexts, these are areas where governments cannot (or will not) act to protect the rights of their people. For children and families living in these places, basic necessities like food, clean water, education, security and protection from abuse and exploitation seem hopelessly out of reach.
Being born in a country that is a fragile context means that you may wake up one day not in the comfort of your bed, but crammed into a small tent with your family. Living in these countries means that you might not have schools, because they are either closed or destroyed. Most of your basic rights have been violated, but you don’t know it because this is the norm for you. All of this is made worse by natural disasters such as famines, floods and pandemics like COVID-19.
Syria
Since 2011, the war in Syria has claimed thousands of lives and left 13.5 million people in need of aid. More than 5 million people have fled Syria, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond.
Read Shaima's story
South Sudan
Due to the ongoing civil conflict, there are currently 4.3 million displaced people from South Sudan, including refugees, internally-displaced people and asylum-seekers. There are now over 2 million South Sudan refugees, making it the largest refugee crisis in Africa.
Read Agnes's story
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Lasting violence in DRC has forced millions from their homes, and many displaced people face major health risks. The most vulnerable are women and children as displacement increases the risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
Read Marie's story