Whats Going On With The Syrian Refugees

  The conditions in which the Syrian refugees are living in are getting worse as the year goes on.  Almost one half of Syria's population is living on the roads and are in need of aid.  Over nine million people need food, water, heat and good shelter.  The society is most vulnerable right now, making the situation even worse. Many people are dying and are in need of help.

  For two years refugees have been leaving Syria because of the civil war that has broken out there.  People have been fleeing the country to protect themselves, but the refugees are dying because of the conditions that they are living in. The refugee camps that Syria's bordering countries have set up aren't all that safe either.  Black markets have sprung up in the camps.  Housing is close together and there is only a minimum amount of food for each family.  Many different societies are helping or raising money so that they can help the refugees out.

  The conditions for the Syrian refugees is getting worse.  The end of the third year of civil war is coming to an end, but that does not mean it will stop.  The United Nations (UN) is expecting two million more Syrians to become refugees in 2014.  Getting food and supplies is also a problem.  Organizations are demanding direct access to the refugees so that they can help them better than just having a station set up where people must come in to get food, water and other things like medical aid.  Food is getting scarce.  Eating cats and dogs is now tolerable, other people are trying to eat different greens like weeds.

  The recent outbreak of polio in Syria does not make conditions any better.  The refugees are going to need medical treatment more than ever now.  People now also have to fight the risk of getting polio or if they have already got polio, trying to get well.  Their living conditions don't make it any easier to stay well and not get sick.  With new Syrian refugees coming everyday, they have the risk of bringing polio into the refugee camps.

  People need our help and they need it as soon as possible.  The United Nations is hosting a 5 billion dollar project to help bring supplies into the bordering countries of Syria and to take the supplies directly to the refugees. The UN’s fund is only 51% funded. The UN still needs around 2.5 billion dollars to finish the project.  You could donate money to them to help out the Syrians.  Please help.  We, the people of the world are the Syrian refugees only hope.  We must help the relief organizations.  One person alone might not make a big difference, but many people will.  A little difference is better than no change at all.

        By Sarah H.

The Philippines, a group of over 7,100 islands, are located in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of China.  They are beautiful tropical islands near the equator, surrounded with warm blue water.  Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on Friday and changed everything.

        With wind blowing up to 170 miles per hour, and gusts that reached 235 mph, this storm caused total devastation everywhere.  The islands are flooded, and there is not a place untouched by this colossal storm.  Waves reached up to 16 feet high.  This storm of destruction that swept through the Philippines on Friday is headed to Vietnam.  It is supposed to hit sometime Monday morning.

        Tacloban is a city that typhoon Haiyan hit the hardest.  It is estimated that over 10,000 people died during this storm either from drowning or by a collapsing building.  People are going to the airport at Tacloban to try to get a flight off the islands or for shelter and food.  There is hardly any food, no clean water, no electricity and hardly any shelter.  People are desperate.  Some have begun to loot, breaking into malls and supermarkets, even stealing things like video games and controllers because they could be later traded for food.

Many people are saying that it is really horrific and a great human tragedy.  It is even referred to as “worse than hell.” Relief organizations are doing their best to help, but the conditions are making it hard to get to places.  Daanbantayan, a town in the Philippines, has over 3,000 people in need of water, food and shelter.  But people can't get to them because the typhoon has made bridges collapse and roads wash away, not to mention that there is debris everywhere.  The relief organizations are doing their best to help.  The UN is gathering goods to give food to 120,000 people, but it won't be enough for everyone that needs it. The hospital in Tacloban is overflowing with the injured.  6,000 foreign and local tourists are stranded on the island Boracay, a popular tour spot and part of Haiyans course.  

        Haiyan is the third category 5 typhoon to hit the Philippines in that last 3 years.  This typhoon is said to be the biggest typhoon ever recorded with the highest wind speed.  Some of the survivors that have been interviewed said that the wind sounded like the engine of a jumbo jet.  One survivor said that it sounded like a 747 was flying right over his house.  The city Bogo has had a blackout and the authorities say it will take months to restore the power.  This typhoon is 3.5 times worse than Hurricane Katrina that hit the U.S. in 2005.  People are going crazy from losing their family members or from lack of food.  How can we help the organizations that can help out these people? They need us.  The victims  are calling for help.

Thanks to everyone who went to our first annual S.I.A Harvest Festival! Hope everyone who came enjoyed it! All the students who came definitely enjoyed putting on the games and crafts! Thank you to all the parents who helped pick up pumpkins and helped set-up. Thank you P.T.C for all the help we appreciate it. 

Thank you all again, 7th grade 

The end of the trimester is coming up! Make sure you have all your homework in!