Humanitarian Coalition: Syria

Syria: The Humanitarian Coalition told a press conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday that at least 6.8 million people are in need of immediate assistance in Syria and in the surrounding countries where they have fled. Three million children are among those in need and more than 1.4 million are living in refugee camps. Every day, thousands more leave their homes in Syria in search of safety, according to CBC. The groups are working on the ground in Syria and in the refugee camps in Jordan and elsewhere and want to ramp up their assistance. The risk of disease spreading in the camps increases as the weather gets warmer, representatives of the groups noted. A lack of food, clean water and hygiene are ongoing concerns in the camps. A young girl stands outside a tent in a refugee camp in Lebanon on February 11, 2013. Mohammed Zaatari/Associated Press A group of major Canadian aid organizations is launching a new fundraising appeal aimed at Canadians who want to help Syrian refugees but who feel "paralyzed" and unsure about how to give. "There are a lot of numbers but it's important for us to remember that these are people," said Nicholas Moyer, head of the coalition that includes Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Care Canada, Plan Canada and Save the Children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.