Skip to main content

By the end of August, more than 2 million people will have fled their homes due to violence in Syria. With so many people seeking refuge, without permanent homes, this is one of the largest humanitarian crises the world has faced.

With 1.8 million people already fleeing Syria, neighboring countries Jordan and Lebanon have become host to more than 500,000 refugees each. The Za’atari refugee camp is the largest settlement of refugees, hosting over 120,000 people in tents on the border of Jordan and Syria.

It’s hard to imagine a tent city of over 120,000 people. But you can can explore the interactive Google map of the Za’atari refugee camp above.

A sprawling tent city, that stretches out as far as they eye can see the Za’atari refuge camp has grown from nothing to become the equivalent of the fifth largest city in Jordan. With such a sudden growth in population, providing a safe and clean environment has presented a massive humanitarian challenge for Jordan.

How does a country like Jordan provide food, housing, clean water and sanitation for its fifth largest city that appeared almost overnight? Cities of 120,000 people need infrastructure to provide food, water, housing and essential services to its population.

With clean drinking water and proper sanitation tens of thousands of people will avoid preventable illness caused by unhygienic conditions. With proper shelter the refugees in Za’atari will be able to avoid the often extreme weather conditions in Jordan.

But with so many people fleeing Syria everyday, providing safe conditions for refugees is a huge challenge that faces Jordan, Lebanon as well as organisations like Oxfam that are working in partnership with the UN and local governments to provide much needed assistance to these refugees right now.

 

Read more blogs

Palestinian Territory, Occupied: Children and their families are returning to their homes or the remains of their homes to check the status of their homes. Photo: Alef Multimedia Company/Oxfam

What’s happening in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon?

For over 15 months, the people of Gaza have endured a relentless war that has killed almost 50,000 people, left tens of thousands injured or missing, and displaced 90% of...

Read more
Bangladesh: Jannat with her family. Jannat lives in Nayapara, in the Cox's Bazar area which hosts over 1.7 million Rohingya refugees. Her community was severely impacted by water scarcity until Oxfam partner organisation NGO Forum installed a Mini Piped Water Distribution Network, enabling community members to access safe, clean water whenever they need. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

What is the Rohingya crisis?

Who are the Rohingya people? The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group from Myanmar, where they have faced decades of persecution and have been denied citizenship. Since the late...

Read more
Lebanon: Oxfam working collaboratively to address the needs of displaced people in North Lebanon. Photo: Rima Nabouls/Oxfam

Middle East Crisis: the latest

It has been over a year since the conflict in Gaza escalated — a year of families living without their homes, their loved ones or the basic supplies they need to...

Read more