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TED-Ed BlogSyria: what students need to know

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TED-Ed BlogSyria: what students need to know

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Thinking about how to discuss Syria with your students? Here are 4 key ideas that can help kids go beyond the latest headlines:

1. Syria's cultural significance. For thousands of years, Syria has been a place where human beings lived, loved - and created art. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, located between Lebanon and Turkey, and a bit bigger than the American state of Pennsylvania, the independent country of Syria was established in late 1945 (after a few decades of French rule, which ended 400 years of Ottoman rule). Syria contains ancient artifacts of global significance, including 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that used to attract tourists from all over the world. In 2011, a series of factors ignited a sprawling civil war in Syria. Watch this video to find out more about Syria and how the war began:

2. What is a refugee? About 60 million people around the globe have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries to escape war, violence, and persecution. Here's what it means to be a refugee. In the past 6 years, almost 500,000 Syrians have died - and millions more men, women, and children have fled into the unknown because of the ongoing conflict in Syria. In this short film, a young Syrian named Mohammed Alsaleh describes what happened after he fled violence and imprisonment by the Assad regime. Mohammed now lives in Canada, where he counsels newly arrived refugee families. Watch this video to hear his story:

3. How leaders are responding. Countries respond to international crises in different ways, and future history books will record how world leaders responded to this ongoing crisis and other matters of global significance in 2017. Watch this video to see how countries are responding to Syria now:

4. What do you think? As a student, do you feel moved to take action about the news regarding Syria and the global refugee crisis? Why or why not? Here's one way that an individual responded. As a young leader, do you agree with how your country has responded to the conflict in Syria, and to the needs of refugees? Why or why not? What would you do if you were in charge of your country's response?

To learn more about the news in Syria from a variety of media perspectives, check out The Week's ongoing coverage. To learn something new every week, sign up for the free TED-Ed Newsletter here >>

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Thinking about how to discuss Syria with your students? Here are 4 key ideas that can help kids go beyond the latest headlines: 1. Syria's cultural significance. For thousands of years, Syria has been a place where human beings lived, loved - and created art.

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The dangerous boat ride to Greece through the eyes of a Syrian refugee girl | UNICEF

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The dangerous boat ride to Greece through the eyes of a Syrian refugee girl | UNICEF

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The dangerous boat ride to Greece through the eyes of a Syrian refugee girl | UNICEF

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Norwegian Refugee Council: Make a difference today

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Norwegian Refugee Council: Make a difference today

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Every other second, a person is forced to flee. They leave everything behind in search of safety from war, conflict and natural disasters. NRC is there when they need us the most. When you support us, you save lives and build safer futures.

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How we use your donation

We make sure that your donations go to those who need it the most. Over 90 per cent of NRC's income is channelled to our work with people forced to flee - wherever they need us.

When you support us, you ensure that displaced people get food, clean water and a roof over their head. Through your donation, we can build schools and train teachers. We also offer legal assistance, helping displaced people claim their rights. In the freezing winter months, we provide warm clothes and heating.

Every day, we see how donations from people like you make a difference. You give children, women and men life-saving assistance and hope for the future.
NRC is certified as an eligible organisation with Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) in both the USA and the UK.

Want to read more before you make a donation?

Read about who we are and the impact we have in displaced people's lives.

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We make sure that your donations go to those who need it the most. Over 90 per cent of NRC's income is channelled to our work with people forced to flee - wherever they need us. When you support us, you ensure that displaced people get food, clean water and a roof over their head.

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Education

The conflict in Syria has left many children and youth without an education. Most of them are too young to remember a life without war. Inside the country, 1.75 million children are currently out of school - and for those fortunate enough to be in the classroom, the risk of dropping out is quickly rising.

Sold sweets

Eid and Ismail used to sell sweets in the streets, but they did not like it because it was very tiring.

In August 2017, the two brothers attended classes supported by the Norwegian refugee Council (NRC) where children who have missed out on education can catch up with their peers. Now, they can finally go back to school.

In Sahnaya, a city in southern Syria, south-west of Damascus, NRC runs summer schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The pupils are children aged six to twelve who are out of school or at risk of dropping out.

More than 2,000 children and 150 teachers have participated in the summer schools. They provide a safe space for playing and learning, in addition to preparing the children on returning to school.

Determined to catch up

Fatima, 14, was in the 6th grade when the Islamic State Group (IS) took over her city, Manbij (Aleppo) and prevented her and other children from going to school.

She had been out of school for four years when her family finally managed to escape and go to Damascus. Although she had forgotten most of what she had learnt, Fatima is determined to catch up on her lost education.

Forgot how to read and write

Sadiq has forgotten how to read and write since he fled Aleppo six years ago. Now, he is trying to catch up on years of lost education.

Sadiq has forgotten how to read and write since he fled Aleppo six years ago. Now, he is trying to catch up on years of lost education.

Being the family's breadwinner, Sadiq has to work from eight in the morning until six in the evening before going to the learning centre.

Managed to escape

Sidra, 14 and from Deir ez-Zor, was out of school for three years before she and her family managed to escape from the Islamic State group and go to Damascus. We are now helping her catch up on her lost education to become a lawyer.

Want to go back to school

Twelve-year-old Ibrahim was displaced from Raqqa, northern Syria, by the Islamic State group five years ago. He has not been to school since.

In Syria, the conditions inside schools and the quality of education have deteriorated drastically since the start of the war. One in four schools has been damaged or destroyed. More than 150,000 teachers have stopped teaching. In families where parents have lost their income, children have dropped out of school to work.

Ibrahim has been working in a car repair shop for the past five years. He attended the NRC-supported summer school in August 2017. Now he is determined to go back to school and achieve his dream of becoming a teacher.

Never been to school

12-year-old Nisreen has never been to school because of violence and displacement from Aleppo. Thanks to catch-up classes she did last summer, she is excited to go to school for the first time in her life this month.

Fled alone

Qamar, 12 years old, fled Aleppo and arrived alone in Sahnaya in August 2017. His mother was killed by a sniper and his father abandoned him to find refuge in Lebanon.

"The IS group had taken over and they were killing everyone," he says.

"We couldn't go to school because of them. We felt relieved once we arrived here."

Qamar is now living in Sahnaya with his uncle and has been out of school for the last two years.

He attended NRC's 2017 summer school.

"What I like most about the summer school are the teachers," he says, adding: "School is very important, it's much better than working when you're a child."

The volunteer teacher

Twenty-three-year-old Moussa is a medical student in Damascus and volunteers at the summer school, where he organises children's games.

He left Idlib in northern Syria when the violence escalated two years ago.

Moussa wants to become a paediatric surgeon.

"I love children. I like being around them, having fun."

Dropped out

Fourteen-year-old Amina, from eastern Ghouta, outside of Damascus, has been living in Jaramana in the outskirts of Damascus for the past four years. Her father disappeared three years ago. Amina's family was told that he had died.

She's been out of school for three years now. Back home, it became too dangerous to go to school, so she had to drop out.

Facts

Staggering figures

1.75 million children are out of school.

An additional 1.35 million are at risk of dropping out.

Around 150,000 education personnel are no longer able to work in the formal education system.

Over 308 attacks on schools have occurred since 2011.

USD 11 billion in economic losses have occurred due to student dropout from basic and secondary education, amounting to 18 per cent of Syria's 2010 gross domestic product (GDP).

Last year, NRC:

Assisted 392,607 children between the ages six and 14 across Syria.

Rehabilitated 65 schools/learning spaces, helping 61,310 children to access their right to learn.

Assisted more than 28,000 children in accessing their right to learn through, education activities like the summer school initiative.

Trained 205 teachers.

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Education The conflict in Syria has left many children and youth without an education. Most of them are too young to remember a life without war. Inside the country, 1.75 million children are currently out of school - and for those fortunate enough to be in the classroom, the risk of dropping out is quickly rising.

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50,000 children killed

50,000 children have been killed as a result of the war in Syria. Ten times as many have been injured.

Doaa risks being injured, like Lujain Hourani (11) was. During an air raid in her hometown, Homs, in Syria, she lost parts of her shoulder. Today, the girl lives together with her family in Lebanon, where most Syrian refugees live under very poor conditions.

Around ten per cent of those killed in the war are children, and ten times as many have been injured. Half a million Syrians, or one in ten, have died as a result of the war since its beginning in 2011.

Most are killed as a direct result of the hostilities, while others have lost their lives because they have not received medical treatment. Only half of the country's hospitals are operational, and many lack personnel, medicines, and equipment. Nine in ten doctors have fled, been kidnapped or killed.

Since the war broke out, life expectancy has been reduced by about a third, and is now only 55 years.

Eight in ten Syrian refugee children have experienced death in the family as a result of the war, according to a study from a refugee camp in Turkey.

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50,000 children have been killed as a result of the war in Syria. Ten times as many have been injured. Doaa risks being injured, like Lujain Hourani (11) was. During an air raid in her hometown, Homs, in Syria, she lost parts of her shoulder.

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Homes destroyed, traumatised by violence: the real reasons refugees come to the UK

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Homes destroyed, traumatised by violence: the real reasons refugees come to the UK

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More than 90% of migrants from Syria and Iraq have direct experience of bombing, says pioneering study

A groundbreaking study has laid bare the extent of the "explosive violence" witnessed by refugees, in the first research of its kind to measure the impact of war on the migration crisis.

Researchers conducted more than 250 in-depth interviews with refugees in Britain, Germany and Greece and found that 85% had directly experienced explosive violence.

In total, 69% had witnessed shelling, 61% airstrikes, 58% improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and 39% suicide bombings. More than two-thirds said that they or their family had been directly affected and nearly half said that their homes had been obliterated.

The research, by a London based charity Action on Armed Violence , published today, coincides with intensive airstrikes in the battle for Mosul with US-led coalition aircraft dropping an average of 500 bombs a week on Iraq's second biggest city. More than 150 civilians were estimated to have died in a single airstrike two weeks ago.

Days after that deadly Mosul strike, at least 30 Syrian civilians died in another US airstrike 450km to the west when a school was struck in Mansoura, in Raqqa province.

Among refugees from Syria who had reached the UK and were questioned by researchers, 93% had witnessed explosive violence. The figures were similar among those fleeing Iraq, while 92% of asylum seekers from Afghanistan said they had been directly affected.

Thangam Debbonaire, the Labour chair of the all-party parliamentary group on refugees, said the report offered much needed evidence that the refugee crisis in Europe had been fuelled by the horrors of war. "These upsetting figures help to explain why so many people are forced to flee their homelands and seek sanctuary in other countries," she said.

"These people are not fleeing out of choice, they are doing what any of us would do if we and our families were living with armed violence raining down danger and terror on our homes - they are trying to get away to a safe place. I believe that most people in the world will understand this and call on our government to do more to help protect refugees fleeing explosive violence."

Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence, said many European governments were still failing to factor the levels of violence and associated trauma into their response to the refugee crisis with his group's research showing that only one in five of the refugees questioned had been offered psychological support.

"Our findings show that the refugee crisis in Europe has been categorically fuelled by explosive violence, but that states and some sections of the media are not making this connection," he said.

Since 2011, the group has collated 233,949 warfare-related deaths and injuries using English-language news sources, a period that has seen more than four million asylum applications in Europe. More than three-quarters of these casualties were civilians. The organisation estimated that when explosive weapons were used in populated areas, 92% of those killed or injured were civilians.

Overton said that Britain's approach to refugees fleeing war zones had been disappointing. Despite Iraq being the world's worst affected country over the last six years, only 12% of applicants from Iraq were granted asylum in the UK last year. The average figure across the EU was 85%.

Government data shows that in 2015 the UK accepted more refugees from Albania (346) than from Iraq (216)."When more refugees in the UK have been granted leave to remain from Albania than from Iraq it is clear that the British government are ignoring the very real impact that explosive weapons have had," he said.

In 2016, Britain accepted 86% of all Syrian refugee applicants (1,591 of 1,859). Last year more than 15,000 people were killed or injured by explosive violence in Syria.

According to Home Office statistics, there were 30,603 applications for asylum in Britain last year, of which 8,466 were successful. Since 2011, such asylum applications have increased by 54%

Of the 259 individual questionnaires, 102 were completed in Germany, 106 in Greece and 51 in Britain, with researchers saying tracking down asylum seekers in Britain was harder "as they are far more dispersed and in smaller numbers than in Greece or Germany".

Of those that have arrived in Britain, 76% of the refugees who answered the questionnaire had witnessed explosive violence in their country of origin, 59% had seen airstrikes, 63% shelling and half had witnessed IED attacks.

Why we had to flee
YAZAN, 28, FROM IDLIB, SYRIA
Now living in London after arriving in Britain in September 2015
Yazan and his family were forced to live in their basement, hoping that the bombs would not hit the building. Eventually they decided to leave, fleeing to Turkey then London. Although Yazan was unharmed physically, the events took a severe psychological toll. He had nightmares, replaying the destruction of his home and the deaths of friends and relatives. He learned to suppress his emotions so he could continue with daily life. He has never been offered psychological support. He describes Britain's asylum process as "dehumanising". At one point he says he was forced to sign a paper he was not allowed to read.
AHMAD, 26, FROM TIKRIT, IRAQ
Now living in London after arriving in Britain in June 2016
Ahmad's two brothers were killed in the violence that has engulfed Iraq for the past 14 years. The main threat was from the militias which, he says, can be worse than Islamic State. Ahmad decided to leave, travelling to Syria, Turkey, Greece and then across Europe. He reached the refugee camp in Calais with the hope of joining his uncle in Britain. Last June he smuggled himself across the Channel in the back of a truck.

Ahmad's asylum application was rejected, with the UK saying he could move to another area in Iraq. He is now waiting to appeal. "There is danger everywhere," he says.
Topics

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Homes destroyed, traumatised by violence: the real reasons refugees come to the UK

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More than 90% of migrants from Syria and Iraq have direct experience of bombing, says pioneering study A groundbreaking study has laid bare the extent of the "explosive violence" witnessed by refugees, in the first research of its kind to measure the impact of war on the migration crisis.

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UNICEF: DONATE TO PROTECTCHILD REFUGEES IN EUROPE

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UNICEF: DONATE TO PROTECTCHILD REFUGEES IN EUROPE

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Children are in danger and need your help

Right now, 50 million children have been uprooted from their homes. Many are fleeing conflict to seek safety in Europe. They're in danger from disease, violence and exploitation and urgently need our help.

Children and families have been forced to make painful and difficult decisions to leave everything behind. A staggering 1,364 people have already been reported dead or missing trying to reach Europe this year; the majority drowning in the Mediterranean. And the number keeps rising.

Risking their lives in search of safety

Children are not responsible for the bombs and bullets, the droughts and disasters - but they are often the worst affected. Children and young people continue to flee their devastated homelands by foot, in the back of lorries, and across the Mediterranean Sea on crowded dinghies. Left with no choice, they are forced to risk everything. Their lives have been turned upside down. So many have lost their parents and loved ones, their homes, their schools. The journey is treacherous and children are exposed to the elements as well as to violence and exploitation.

Children on the move in Europe need your support now. They need a safe space to eat, sleep, wash and receive care. They need somewhere safe where they can learn and have a chance to play.

How is Unicef responding?

Unicef has set up child and family support centres across Europe, which provide a safe space for children and families fleeing war. Here children can eat, sleep and wash, as well as receive health care and counselling, and have the chance to learn and play again.

The centres can be adapted to meet children's changing needs, with the aim to support children in danger of disease, violence, exploitation and trafficking. Unicef will not stop until every child is safe.

Why donate to Unicef?

Unicef supports children on the move across Europe and the region - in Italy, Spain, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Greece and Turkey - providing life-saving supplies, emergency hygiene kits, child protection services and counselling.

Wars in countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have been devastating children's lives for years. Unicef has been working tirelessly to protect these children and give them hope for the future. We're there in conflict zones and refugee camps, ensuring children have access to life-saving food, water and medical care. We're there providing long-term support to help children rebuild their lives through education, counselling and safe spaces for them to rest and play; and we're also lobbying governments to strengthen systems and policies to keep children safe.

Every day, more children make the dangerous journey to Europe. Whatever name used to describe these children - migrants, refugees, displaced - they are children first. These children are in danger and we must protect them.
Please donate today and help us keep vulnerable children safe in Europe. For the first 12 months, monthly donations made to this appeal will go to children on the move in Europe. After that they will go to our Children's Emergency Fund. In the unlikely event that the funds raised exceed Unicef's funding requirements for this appeal, your one-off or monthly gift will also go to our Children's Emergency Fund, helping children caught in wars and disasters around the world.

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Donate and keep a refugee child safe - Unicef UK

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Right now, 50 million children have been uprooted from their homes. Many are fleeing conflict to seek safety in Europe. They're in danger from disease, violence and exploitation and urgently need our help. Children and families have been forced to make painful and difficult decisions to leave everything behind.

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SYRIAN REFUGEES: CHILDREN LIVING IN EXILE

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SYRIAN REFUGEES: CHILDREN LIVING IN EXILE

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Powerful photographs taken by Syrian refugee children reveal daily life inside a refugee camp…

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Powerful photographs taken by Syrian refugee children reveal daily life inside a refugee camp...

These powerful photographs taken by Syrian refugee children reveal daily life inside a refugee camp...

Since a terrible war broke out in Syria in 2011, millions of people have been forced to leave their homes to find safety. Many thousands ended up in the Kawergosk Refugee Camp, in Iraqi Kurdistan.

In 2013, National Geographic photographer Reza set up the Reza Visual Academy in the camp. The photography workshops taught the children there how to capture their lives on camera. Here are some of the remarkable pictures they took...

Taken by Mohammad Husein, 15

Taken at a wedding in the camp, this photo shows how celebrations still take place despite the surroundings.

Taken by Maryam Husein, 14

Despite the difficult conditions in the camp, the children continue to find ways to have a bit of fun.

Over 85% of refugees live in developing countries, often in camps like this one. The UK is home to less than 2% of the world's refugees

Taken by Amer Abdulah, 13

A child stands before a fire lit to celebrate Nowruz (the Iranian new year celebrated at the spring equinox) at the Kawergosk camp.

Taken by Zerav Rasoul, 11

A little girl lies bundled up against the cold at the Kawergosk camp.

Last year, 51% of refugees were children

Taken by Amer Abdulah, 13

Amer Abdulah captures a moment of celebration at the Kawergosk camp.

Taken by Amar Abdulah, 11

A father plays with his son, tossing him in the air at the Kawergosk refugee camp.

One in every four of the world's refugees is from Syria

Taken by Nora Morad, 15

A young refugee boy combs his hair in front of a mirror.

Taken by Maya Rostam, 13

A bath and play in the water for these refugee children, an instant of their everyday lives captured.

Tell us your thoughts on the Syrian refugee crisis by leaving a comment, below.

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Syrian refugees: children living in exile | National Geographic Kids

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Powerful photographs taken by Syrian refugee children reveal daily life inside a refugee camp... Since a terrible war broke out in Syria in 2011, millions of people have been forced to leave their homes to find safety. Many thousands ended up in the Kawergosk Refugee Camp, in Iraqi Kurdistan.

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What does it mean to be a refugee? - Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman

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Computer Lab Video Guide Lesson on Syria

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About The Green Hand Mission S tatement I Am Syria Message Media Contact

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We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record.

An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.

There are also 10 million stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

In a world where nearly 20 people are forcibly displaced every minute as a result of conflict or persecution, our work at UNHCR is more important than ever before.

How we gather our data

Full-time statisticians in UNHCR's Field Information and Coordination Section track the number of people forced to flee so that when a major displacement crisis erupts, we are able to predict how many people need help, how much help they need and how many staff we must deploy.

These figures are released every year in our Global Trends and Global Appeal reports.

Staff figures

Our staff are the backbone of UNHCR. As of 30 June 2017, we employ 10,966 staff members, of whom around 87 per cent are based in the field.

We work in 130 countries, with staff based in a mixture of regional and branch offices and sub and field offices. Our staff work hard to help the displaced, specializing in a wide range of disciplines, including legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs and health.

Financial figures

We are funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions, with 87 per cent from governments and the European Union. Three per cent comes from other inter-governmental organizations and pooled funding mechanisms, while a further nine per cent is from the private sector, including foundations, corporations and the public. Additionally, we receive a limited subsidy (one per cent) from the UN budget for administrative costs, and accept in-kind contributions, including items such as tents, medicines and trucks.

UNHCR was launched on a shoestring annual budget of US$ 300,000 in 1950. But as our work and size have grown, so too have the costs. Our annual budget rose to more than US$ 1 billion in the early 1990s and reached a new annual high of US$ 7.7 billion in 2017. For up to date information about UNHCR's financial needs visit our Global Focus website.

Our yearly budget includes programmes that support continuing operations and supplementary programmes to cover emergencies, such as the Syria crisis or large-scale repatriation operations.

Statistics and operational data

Our accurate, relevant and timely data and statistics are crucial to refugee operations. This key resource is used by all partners to respond to the needs of refugee populations.

UNHCR's Statistics Database provides data, reports and other information essential for field operations. It also carries statistical reports on people of concern - refugees, asylum seekers, returned refugees, the internally displaced and stateless people. Detailed information on country of asylum, place of origin, gender, age, location and legal status of refugees is available. Indicators on the quality of refugee protection and UNHCR operations are increasingly being collected.

For more information, please see our Statistical Yearbooks, mid-year trends and asylum trends.

More figures and data sources

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.

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Refugee crisis: what can you do to help?

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Refugee crisis: what can you do to help?

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From donating to a charity to volunteering - here is a guide to some of the practical ways that individuals can contribute

The shocking image of a boy who drowned trying to flee the war in Syria has prompted calls for governments to do more to tackle the refugee crisis, but what can individual citizens do to help?

So far Germany has put other nations to shame with plans to take 800,000 asylum seekers this year. There has also been a series of impressive voluntary campaigns and gestures, from Refugees Welcome - a scheme for sharing homes with those fleeing conflict and persecution described as "an Airbnb for refugees" - to a professional football club fielding a third team made up entirely of refugees.

By contrast the response of the British media has been characterised by fear rather than compassion, but there are plenty of ways that individuals can offer support. We want to hear about how you've helped those seeking asylum. But in the meantime, here's a guide about some of the ways you can contribute.

Give Money

A number of charities and non-governmental organisations have opened appeals specifically aimed at helping the plight of refugees. Various organisations spell out exactly what a specific donation could provide. Here's a sample:

Migrant Offshore Aid Station: The charity which runs independent rescue boats to rescue migrants at risk of drowning has seen a huge spike in donations since pictures of the drowned Syrian boy emerged.

Médecins Sans Frontières: The humanitarian agency has three rescue ships in the Mediterranean, on Tuesday alone they rescued 1,658 people in its biggest day of operations.

Aylan Kurdi Fund: A specific fund named in honour of the drowned boy was set up within 24 hours of the circulation photographs of his body emerging. All proceeds will go to the humanitarian agency Hand in Hand for Syria.

Refugee Council: A donation of £100 could pay for the education and travel for two children for a week.

: The UN's children's charity is providing life-saving supplies such as clean water, medicine and psychological support. It says a donation of £9 could provide an emergency water kit for a family.

Save the Children: It says a donation of £50 could buy two hygiene kits including soap, towels and toothbrushes.

British Red Cross: A donation of £30 could buy 28 mats to help Syria refugees cope with the cold.

Islamic Relief: Three families could be fed for a month on a donation of £210, the charity says.

The crowdfunding website Just Giving has a list of specific appeals for migrants in Calais. It includes one of students trying to raise £750 to buy mobile phones, footballs, camping equipment, dictionaries, storage boxes, sanitary items and waterproof clothing.

The UNHCR is running camps, providing shelter and aid to refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, as well as helping refugees across Europe.

Other Donations

It is not only cash that can help.

Refugee Action is offering to take old cars as donations. It says the last scrap car it took raised £126 for refugees. It is also looking for old mobile phones and even printer cartridges.

A Facebook group Music Against Borders is looking for musical instruments for migrant musicians in Calais.

Teacher Mary Jones is looking for donations of books for her Jungle Books library named after the Calais migrant camp.

The grass roots campaign Calais Action is urging supporters to donate in any way they can. It has put together a map of drop-off and collection zones.

Volunteer

The US refugee charity the International Rescue Committee has opportunities to volunteer at all of its 22 offices. Roles include mentoring refugee families and helping refugees find jobs. The organisation also asking for donations.

Protest

March on Downing Street in Solidarity with Refugees on Saturday 12 September. The protest begins at noon at London's Marble Arch.

The International Organisation for Migration is urging supporters to get involved in its #MigrantsContribute campaign, which promotes the cultural, economic, and political contributions that migrants make to society.

A number of online petitions have been launched, including one calling for a more compassionate Europe-wide response to the crisis and another urging Britain to accept more asylum seekers.

What are you doing to help?
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Refugee crisis: what can you do to help?

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From donating to a charity to volunteering - here is a guide to some of the practical ways that individuals can contribute The shocking image of a boy who drowned trying to flee the war in Syria has prompted calls for governments to do more to tackle the refugee crisis, but what can individual citizens do to help?

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I write from Manus Island as a duty to history

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I write from Manus Island as a duty to history

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The treatment of refugees on Manus Island is part of a recurring theme of modern Australia: the annihilation and incarceration of human beings

Last week the Guardian requested again that I report on what is happening on Manus. It had been two days that I had not eaten a thing, two days that I had gone without sleep.

The situation had reached crisis point.

I contacted Omid, who translates my work, immediately.

Omid answered my message. Like always, he was worried about my wellbeing.

"Behrouz, I know that this reporting is historically monumental, I know that this is a duty toward history and those people lost to history, and I know that the two of us are totally committed to this work ... but I'm worried about your wellbeing. You need to sleep."

"But we need to write," I replied. "It's no time to sleep. I promise that nothing is going to happen to me. This'll be the last article. I promise I'll sleep then. I promise you, Omid."

A central part of Australia's history relates to its forgotten people

This is an excerpt from the dialogues that took place between Omid and me, and an insight into the situation underlying those days when a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in Manus prison.

Those days and those articles are over and finished now, but one question still remains: why do I write continuously right here in this prison?

It is a difficult question - why does Omid pay more attention to the work related to Manus than to his research and other academic work? I must admit that Omid and I have come to a mutual understanding regarding an interpretation of the Manus and Nauru phenomenon. It is that writing is a duty to history.

Only a meta-historical and transhistorical approach can unpack the peculiarities associated with the issue of Manus and Nauru. Only a rigorous analysis of a colonial presence in Australia and its tactics in the region can disclose the reality of violence in these island prisons.

This issue must be understood as the annihilation of human beings, the incarceration of human beings within the history of modern Australia; it is a long history, a comprehensive history, it is intertwined with its colonial history.

This form of affliction, inflicted on people in similarly vulnerable situations, has always existed in the history of modern Australia. Pain and suffering systematically inflicted on defenceless and vulnerable bodies.

People who are not recognised as humans, not recognised as embodying human dignity. People who are debased, people who are subject to discrimination.

Australia is a developed country. Australia has invested significantly in the arts, in intellectual life, in cultivating culture. Australia is generally known for being a country of goodwill.

But one aspect of the history of this country has always been associated with violence and affliction. Modern Australia must not always be interpreted in terms of its successes, its beauty and its achievements.

A central part of Australia's history relates to its forgotten people.

This writing that comes out of Manus is the unofficial history of Australia, a history that will never be authorised by the government.

This writing that comes out of Manus is history from the viewpoint of people who have been subject to systematic violence.

This writing that comes out of Manus is the suppressed history, the marginalised history of Australia.

This writing that comes out of Manus narrates a significant part of Australian history, it narrates a feature of Australian history that continues to manifest time and time again.

We are confined to the task of writing, we are confined to the practice of creativity so that generations to come have resources at hand, resources rendered by those who have always been violated by the official historical narrative of Australia, violated by the beautiful image projected by Australia, violated by the image of a compassionate Australia.

This is history from down below.

Certainly, this writing that comes out of Manus does not only pertain to the articles I have produced, it not only pertains to the film that I co-directed. Soon my first book will be published - an autobiographical novel. In the future I will continue to produce more writing. The history of these prisons, here on these islands, must never be forgotten.

Behrouz Boochani is a journalist and an Iranian refugee held on Manus Island since August 2014. Translated by Omid Tofighian from the American University in Cairo/University of Sydney. A section of this column was published in an earlier article.
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I write from Manus Island as a duty to history | Behrouz Boochani

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The treatment of refugees on Manus Island is part of a recurring theme of modern Australia: the annihilation and incarceration of human beings Last week the Guardian requested again that I report on what is happening on Manus. It had been two days that I had not eaten a thing, two days that I had gone without sleep.

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The devastating effects of the conflict in Syria

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The devastating effects of the conflict in Syria

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Article from the Washington Post. Thanks Jiya!

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Since the upheaval in Syria began five years ago, as many as 250,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes. Here are five graphics that help explain the state of the crisis today.

Before the conflict began, Syria's population was about 22 million. With so may people affected, the crisis is the world's worst humanitarian emergency in decades.

The violence and dire living conditions for many of the displaced have put millions of children in grave danger.

Today, Syria produces more internally displaced people and refugees than any other country in the world, according to the United Nations.

The focus of the refugee crisis has largely been on Europe, where more than a million desperate people arrived last year. But far more of the displaced have remained in countries nearer to Syria.

Read more: How the Syrian revolt went so horribly, tragically wrong 8 stories to read if you want to understand the Syrian conflict How the growing web of the Syrian conflict became a global problem

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The devastating effects of the conflict in Syria

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Since the upheaval in Syria began five years ago, as many as 250,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes. Here are five graphics that help explain the state of the crisis today. Before the conflict began, Syria's population was about 22 million.

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Documents from partners on this portal and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the United Nations.

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Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response

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Documents from partners on this portal and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the United Nations.

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Some 250 million children are confronted every day with the horrors of war. Fantasy is often the only way for these children to escape their reality. War Child supports conflict-affected children with vital protection, education and psychosocial support. So they can cope with their terrible experiences.