Washington D.C., Sep 10, 2013 / 16:43 pm
Unable to enter refugee camps run by the United Nations, many Syrians fleeing from violence in their home country have found basic necessities and ongoing support from Catholic Relief Services in nearby Lebanon.
"When they come, they have nothing," said Joan Rosenhauer, who serves as Catholic Relief Services' executive vice president for U.S. Operations.
"You can hardly imagine what it's like as a parent to go through this with your children," she told CNA in a Sept. 9 interview, reflecting that the immensity of the refugee crisis "really strikes you when you see all the women and children" in the camps.
According to the United Nations, more than two million Syrians have fled the country, which has been entangled in a violent civil war for more than two years. In addition, more than four million people are estimated to be internally displaced as a result of the fighting.