SYRIA: A Regional Crisis the IRC Commission on Syrian Refugees

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

nearly two years of civil war in Syria has produced a regional humanitarian disaster. more than two and a half million Syrians have been uprooted from their homes, including more than 600,000 who have fled to neighboring countries, and
an estimated four million Syrians are in dire need of assistance.

In November 2012, an International Rescue Committee delegation of board members and senior staff traveled to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq to evaluate conditions of displaced and conflict-affected Syrians and advocate for increased and more targeted
humanitarian aid as the crisis evolves and intensifies. The delegation met with many refugees, officials from host and donor governments, representatives of international humanitarian organizations and local nongovernmental agencies. The group was also briefed by IRC teams across the region who provide medical care for displaced Syrians, offer counseling and targeted health services, distribute relief items and cash assistance to vulnerable refugee families, and work with Syrian partners who provide emergency services in Syria, including the delivery of medical and winterization supplies.