UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Published purpose

December 2015 - The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate as a result of the civil war and intensified violence in the country. The United Nations estimates that 13.5 million people inside Syria, including 6 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance. Combined with over 4.2 million Syrians seeking refuge from the conflict in neighbouring countries, this is the largest number of people displaced from conflict in the world. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the conflict and host countries are increasingly overstretched by the influx of people fleeing the conflict. DFATD is providing support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s operations in Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in response to large numbers of Syrian refugees that continue to arrive in the Balkans, en route to western Europe. Project activities include: (1) increasing presence at borders in order to provide core relief items, including blankets and winter clothes; (2) providing information and monitoring on asylum procedures; (3) assisting in the reunion of families; and (4) facilitating refugees’ access to medical attention.