Snow and freezing temperatures in the Middle East have left millions of Syrians in even greater need without the means to protect themselves against the weather.
Syrians and Iraqis struggling to cope with war in their own countries or as refugees far from home are now facing freezing weather conditions as one of the worst winter storms in decades hits the Middle East.
A winter storm has blanketed much of the Middle East in snow, leaving refugees huddling for warmth in their makeshift tents. Caritas has run winterization programmes, providing fuel, warm clothes and bedding and making tents and accommodation more resistant to cold conditions.
Caritas Syria President Bishop Audo says he feels attacked by the poverty in his country but finds hope in the Christmas message.
In a series of blogs, Vatican Radio’s Tracey McClure looks at the challenges facing Jordanian society and the toll that the Syrian war is exacting on some of the region’s most vulnerable.
Earlier this year, Caritas Jordan received the approval of the Jordanian government to receive Iraqi Christian refugees fleeing persecution by Islamic extremists in Mosul and the Ninevah Plains.
Caritas urges governments to prioritise the needs of unaccompanied migrant children on World Migrant Day and to increase employment opportunities in home countries for young people.
On the 25th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 20 November, Caritas Internationalis says more must be done to protect child migrants, especially those travelling alone. Caritas calls on governments to greater defend their rights by applying key laws as set out in the convention.
In some parts of the world, war, violence, poverty and abuse mean that children aren’t safe in their homes. Many of them leave, either with their parents or alone, in hope of finding a place to live which is safer and where they can flourish.
Caritas projects across the world work to ensure the fundamental rights of children are protected so that children can grow and flourish. Even if you take away a child’s voice, you can’t take away their rights.