Refugee group expresses concerns for rising need in Syria
The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME), the American branch of a worldwide refugee relief charity, anticipates a huge wave of Syrian refugees in the near future, as food shortages strike Syria.
With a severe bread shortage caused by many bakeries suspending work because of a lack of flour and a rise in the price of baking materials, Syria currently faces the risk of mass starvation or another mass exodus. Anti-regime protests have taken place across the country over the past six weeks as civilians risk arrest to protest Syria’s worsening economic crisis.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, more than 380,000 Syrians have been killed and a staggering 13.2 million have been displaced, with 80 percent of Syrians living in poverty.
Refugee child. Photo courtesy of the American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation, FRRME
Making the situation worse, Syria’s currency recently collapsed, causing food prices to soar. In the past six months, the number of people struggling with food shortage in Syria has risen from 7.9 million to 9.3 million.
Half a million children are considered to be stunted by malnutrition. In desperation, many Syrians have no choice but to flee to neighboring countries like Jordan, as many did in 2015.
Donations to American FRRME go to help Syrian refugees fleeing hunger and persecution.
American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East does not have a center in Syria. However, American FRRME increasingly helps Syrian refugees in Kurdistan and also does work with the Syrian Orthodox Church in Amman to assist Syrian Orthodox Christian refugees from Iraq.
The organization and its partners assist these refugees in Jordan and other countries by providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to help them overcome horrific circumstances and obtain a better life. These resources are made possible by generous donations by faithful donors.
American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East is a Christian charity that aims to bring hope, help, and healing in the Middle East, assisting Iraqi Christian refugees and other religious minorities.
For more information on the American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation click here.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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