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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

"CARE for Syria" team training outside Amman. (Photo: CARE/Harry Chung)

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in Syria

AMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in urgent need of assistance three years after their country erupted into conflict.

On Thursday, 10 CARE aid workers and Syrian refugees will run the 150-mile “Dead 2 Red” ultra marathon in Jordan. The team brings together CARE staff involved in the emergency response as well as Syrian refugees who volunteer for CARE in Jordan and Lebanon. The volunteers used to work in Syria as an engineer, a graphic designer and a teacher. Two were students. Now, their lives are on hold. “I have witnessed my mother shot by a sniper and my sister losing her baby out of shock,” says Omran Almish, who volunteers for CARE’s urban refugee centre in Amman. “I am running the marathon so no more sons have to lose their mothers. I am also running to show the world how much Syrians themselves are doing to support their fellow refugees.”

CARE offices around the world will participate in the #WithSyria campaign this week, too. In Washington, D.C., the effort will culminate with a candlelight vigil outside the White House on Thursday. Already, CARE has put on display at the Russell Senate Office Building a selection of “Dear World” photos in which Syrian refugees have written poignant messages on their bodies, such as “When shall we return?” and “I want the life I had back.

CARE President and CEO Helene D. Gayle also has joined a group of 50 CEOs calling for greater humanitarian access and funding of the response. “Our concern is mixed with horror and frustration,” reads the March 6 statement from heads of relief organizations belonging to InterAction, an alliance of international relief organizations. “Horror at the impact of brutal tactics on the lives of civilians and frustration at the inability of the peace process to bring the violence to a halt and allow for effective humanitarian action.”

That same frustration will help propel members of CARE’s Dead 2 Red marathon team as they run a race that starts at an altitude of 1,360 feet below sea level, moves through the Araba desert and up to an altitude of about 400 feet above sea level. The race ends on the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba, all within 24 hours.

”The response to this biggest humanitarian crisis of recent times is drastically underfunded. And there is no end of the conflict in sight”, said Wolfgang Gressmann, CARE’s deputy director for the Syria response who will accompany the team through the desert. “Giving up on Syria cannot be an option . . . The team’s desire is to give refugees and those affected by the crisis inside Syria a voice. It is the team’s wish to call for renewed attention and to remember the humanity and dignity of all those suffering as a result of the three-year-long conflict.“

The global runners’ team seeks to raise $50,000 in donations to support CARE’s emergency response to the Syrian crisis. In total, CARE has launched an appeal of $200 million to assist Syrian refugees over the next four years.

CARE’s Syria Response:

CARE’s provision of life-saving services to Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt and to people affected by the crisis in Syria has already reached more than 290,000 people. In Jordan, CARE provides Emergency Cash Assistance for refugees so they can pay for basic living costs, including rent, medication and food. CARE assists with vital information on how refugees can access further health, legal and social support and provides psychosocial assistance to women, men and children. CARE Lebanon repairs water and sanitation infrastructure provides health education sessions, works with municipalities to improve water supply and sanitation infrastructure for refugees as well as for host communities. Syrian volunteers, who are refugees themselves, are an integral part of CARE’s Syria Response. Alongside Jordanian and Lebanese volunteers, they assist in organising and preparing distributions of relief items.

During the winter months, CARE helped families in Jordan and Lebanon to prepare for and cope with the cold winter, distributing cash, heaters, fuel vouchers, blankets and floor mats. CARE Egypt has started raising awareness among the refugees of sexual exploitation and other forms of gender-based violence to protect them from any form of abuse. Our support to families affected by the crisis in Syria is based on humanitarian needs alone, no matter which religion, political affiliation or ethnicity people belong to.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. CARE has been working in Jordan since 1948. CARE Jordan has extensive experience working with refugees, providing livelihood training and opportunities, emergency cash assistance, information sharing and psychosocial support to Iraqi refugees since 2003.

About the Dead Sea to Red Sea marathon:

The Dead to Red Marathon is a relay event suitable for amateurs and athletes of all ages and genders without restriction. The marathon goes 242 kilometres from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. It starts at an altitude of -415 metres below sea level, leads through the Araba desert to an altitude of 120 metres above sea level before descending towards the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba. The race starts at 4pm on the 13th of March. The teams have 24 hours (until 4pm on the 14th of March) to finish the race. There is always one team members running at a time. The other team members will follow the runner in a car and take turns. The Dead to Red offers no monetary awards at all. The purpose of this event is to enjoy a challenge, the scenery and have fun. Sponsors support this event by providing T-shirts, medals and nominal trophies for several categories as well as a dinner to celebrate the end of the event and to recognize all participants.

Media Contacts:

Johanna Mitscherlich (Amman), Johanna.Mitscherlich@jo.care.org, +962 775442241

Nicole Harris (Atlanta), nharris@care.org, +1.404.979.9503, Mobile: +1.404.735.0871

Resources

2016 September CO Factsheet Turkey Northern Syria

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CARE Impact Syria Crisis

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Helsinki Report Stand and Deliver digital

On 4 February 2016, the international community agreed on a ‘comprehensive new approach’ to address the protracted Syria crisis at the “Supporting Syria and the Region” Conference in London. Donors, and neighboring countries, which host the vast majority of those who have fed Syria, committed to significant financial pledges and policy changes to improve the lives of refugees and host communities. As the one-year mark of the conference approaches, 3 NGO platforms and 28 organizations have reviewed whether donors and host governments have fulfilled their commitments, and whether their actions have led to an improvement in the situation for refugees and host communities in the region.

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CARE Impact Syria Crisis March 2016

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CARE Syria Crisis Fact Sheet March 2016

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CARE On Her Own refugee media report Sept 2016

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Women, Work, and War: Research Study

Five years of war and displacement have triggered fundamental shifts in gender roles and responsibilities, both in Syria and in neighboring countries. In Syria before the crisis, women’s economic participation was relatively low at 22 percent in 2010, with some legal barriers but mainly sociocultural norms and practice limiting women’s roles and responsibilities inside and outside the house. As a result of the upheaval, however, Syrian women and men feel that their roles and responsibilities have been reversed: while women increasingly participate in decision-making on income and expenses and assume responsibilities outside the home, men have lost their traditional role as the sole breadwinner and decision-maker.

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CARE Women Work and War Fact Sheet

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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The Forgotten South Executive Summary: Food Security and Livelihoods in Southern Syria

This executive summary analyzes the current economic and livelihoods challenges in conflict-affected communities in Southern Sudan.

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The Forgotten South Executive Summary: Food Security and Livelihoods in Southern Syria

This executive summary analyzes the current economic and livelihoods challenges in conflict-affected communities in Southern Sudan.

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REACH-S Project

Eliminating the immediate suffering of Internally Displaced Persons in host communities

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

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Assessment of Skills & Market Opportunities for Youth in Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan

This report presents the results of a study commissioned by CARE International in Jordan and Silatech to understand the skill supply and assess livelihood opportunities for youth in Azraq Refugee Camp, aiming at guiding future income generation activities in the camp, including the start-up of viable refugee-led livelihood activities in a planned market area.

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Factsheet: Azraq Refugee Camp

Syria Crisis: April 2015

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Life in Refuge

A Visual Display of the Toll of Syrian Conflict on Refugee Women & Girls in the Heart of Washington DC

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Factsheet: Syria in Conflict

The crisis in Syria grows more dismal by the day.

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Lebanon: Social Cohesion Study

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Fact Sheet:Syria Crisis: CARE’s response in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt

June 2012 through March 2014

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The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis

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CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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Lives Unseen: Urban Syrian Refugees and Jordanian Host Communities Three Years into the Syria Crisis

Urban Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities three years into the Syria Crisis

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CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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Statement by InterAction Member CEOs on the Third Anniversary of the Syrian Civil War

The undersigned, member CEOs of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international relief and development organizations, wish...

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis: Raising the Profile of Women and Girls

We call on donor governments to address the specific needs of women and girls affected by the crisis in Syria.

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CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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Syria: Humanitarian Snapshot

As of 17 September 2013

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The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis: The Impact on Jordan’s Long-Term Development & Women and Girls

Findings from the CARE Learning Tour to Jordan. In August 2013, a group of high-level policymakers and experts, including Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., traveled to Jordan to learn how U.S. investments are helping the country address both its long-term development as well as the refugee crisis.

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CARE Stands Up — and Runs — to Spotlight Shocking Syrian Crisis at Three-Year Mark

CARE team runs “Dead 2 Red Marathon” for those displaced by marathon crisis in SyriaAMMAN (March 10, 2014) — From a mega-marathon in Jordan to a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., CARE is joining efforts around the world this week to raise awareness and support for the more than 9 million Syrians who remain in

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