Every day we learn of the worsening plight of refugees from Syria. Displaced people sailing across the Mediterranean Sea represent the most severe refugee crisis to hit Europe since World War II.
Through the
Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief
, Jewish organizations have been funding relief efforts to support Syrian refugees for the past two years. Convened by JUF's overseas partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, JCDR provides a coordinated Jewish response to humanitarian crises around the world, most recently after earthquakes in Nepal.
JCDR is a consortium of nearly 50 Jewish organizations including Federations and all streams of Judaism. Together they maximize the use of pooled financial resources, coordinate the activities of member agencies, and demonstrate the long tradition of Jewish humanitarianism.
To date, JCDR's assistance to Syrian refugees has been delivered in Jordan, which has seen more than 625,000 officially registered refugees enter the country since the beginning of the fighting in Syria. Jewish and Israeli efforts to steady the situation in Jordan reflect both humanitarian and security concerns.
Israel has evacuated and provided medical care to approximately 1,000 Syrian citizens since the outbreak of the conflict. This week, JCDR expanded the scope of its mandate in Jordan to include refugees and migrants in Europe and the Middle East.
