Almost 1.8 million people have already fled Syria due to ongoing violence. Za’atari, the largest refugee camp in the region, is now home to over 100,000 Syrian refugees. Due to the generosity of Oxfam’s supporters, Oxfam has been able to provide assistance to over 200,000 people across the region.

Oxfam is working in the Za’atari refugee camp – providing people with water and sanitation facilities. We have currently reached some 20,000 Syrian refugees with emergency latrines and have recently completed shower, toilet and laundry blocks to reach 8,000. Oxfam is also coordinating hygiene training to prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases. We have held hygiene lessons with children and a tile-painting project giving them the chance to decorate the tiles in the wash blocks.

None of this would be possible without the help of Oxfam supporters, who called on the Australian Government to support the UN’s Appeal for Syria. With your help the Australian government provided $21.5 million towards aid in Syria.

Oxfam Australian supporters have also donated generously to our Syrian crisis appeal, contributing to over $250,000 to Oxfam’s work in the region.

To date, Oxfam has helped more than 200,000 people in our response but we are continuing to scale-up, funds permitting. We are hoping to have reached 650,000 people by the end of the year.

We must be prepared for the long haul; the crisis is ongoing and millions of people are going to need assistance before this crisis is over.