Amid conflict in Syria and neighboring countries stemming from Syria’s civil war, a sense of childhood is slipping away for a generation of children.
News & Stories
Refugees
From the Field
Syrian refugee crisis: Children fleeing violence
Amid shattered dreams and broken hearts in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Syrian refugee children like Ali, Hassan, Nour, Marie, and Ayat live in haphazard jumbles near the Syrian border.
Iraq crisis: 3 women’s stories
Hope is in short supply among the 3.3 million Iraqis displaced by conflict since mid-2014 and who face little chance of returning home soon. Here are three women’s stories: a surgeon, a physician, and an art therapist. As survivors of the conflict, each illustrates how women are working to bring hope and healing to displaced children and families.
Prayers
Pray for the children and families of Iraq
Since mid-2014, the people of Iraq have been caught up in a resurgence of violence. The conflict has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation stemming from Syria’s civil war. Please pray with us for affected children and families.
Prayers
Pray through the day
Aug. 1, 2014 — Knowing how to pray for young people in poverty isn’t always easy. Here’s a way you and your child can use daily activities to learn about and pray for children around the world.
Special Features
Rwanda: 20 years later
APRIL 1, 2014, RWANDA — In 1994, Rwanda was as ruined as any spot on earth after an implosion of violence killed 800,000 people in 100 days. How could the country ever overcome such hatred and horror? It would take a miracle. Through World Vision’s reconciliation programming, healing has given way to hope.
Voices
Our humanity brings us together
World Vision U.S. President Rich Stearns reflects on how we may seem worlds apart from our global neighbors, but we are not as different as we may think. He shares 10-year-old Haya’s song; the lyrics describe the loss, pain, and hope of Syrian refugees.
Voices
My encounter with a child of Syria
For three years, the children of Syria have have borne the brunt of violence and tragedy, while millions have been forced to flee. Today, meet Ola, a child of Syria whose laughter would give way to tears without warning.
Special Features
Crying for their country
FEB. 1, 2014, JORDAN AND SYRIA — Of the 8 million people displaced by Syria’s war, more than half are children. Many arrive in neighboring countries with little more than the clothes on their backs and memories of friends and home. Here in Jordan, they take refuge with their families in a crowded camp or suffocating accommodations, mourning lost loved ones and yearning for their former lives. Each child has a story.
Voices
Syrian children: Coping with trauma through drawing
Betsy Baldwin, program management officer for World Vision’s humanitarian and emergency affairs team, writes today about a recent trip to Lebanon. Visiting Syrian refugee children who had fled their homes, Betsy witnessed firsthand the effects of the trauma these children had been through. Here, she describes the heartbreaking stories she saw illustrated by these children’s hands.