Aid Agencies Urge NZ to Remember Syria On World Refugee Day

Aid Agencies Urge New Zealanders to Remember Syria On World Refugee Day

With more than the population of New Zealand displaced by the conflict in Syria, the NGO Disaster Relief Forum of Aotearoa (NDRF) is asking Kiwis to spare a thought for the innocent victims caught in this brutal conflict this World Refugee Day (Thursday June 20). Vast numbers of those displaced are now either refugees or seeking refugee status in neighbouring countries. NDRF members are responding to the crises in a number of areas including health, education, psychosocial support, child protection and peace building.

The call has been made by the NGO Disaster Relief Forum, Aotearoa (NDRF), which is made up of New Zealand’s aid and development agencies active in disaster and conflict response and, provides a collective civil-society voice on humanitarian crises. The forum encourages members in best-practice international humanitarian assistance.

“The enormity of suffering in Syria is unfathomable,’ says NDRF chairperson Ian McInnes. “Officially more than five million people are displaced and over 93,000 people have been killed. It is the equivalent of every New Zealander having to flee their homes with nothing. The unofficial figures are much higher” McInnes says.

“New Zealand NGOs are working with partners on the ground but their work needs more funding to reach the huge number of those affected.” McInnes says it hasn’t helped that the international community had been sitting on its hands for so long, but it was time to put politics aside and take decisive action to alleviate the suffering of innocent victims. 

“The NGO community stands united in decrying the ongoing violence and is urging Kiwis not to forget the people of Syria on World Refugee Day. “Most of our member agencies are accepting donations to support their work in Syria; we simply ask that people go to the agency they trust and make a donation. This will go a long way to help improve the situation of the high numbers of people affected.”

ENDS

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