As Syria enters the fifth year of civil war, one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history is unfolding with no end in sight. This bloody conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 220,000 Syrians and displaced more than 11 million people, driving almost 4 million people to neighboring countries. Fully one-third of refugees are now in substandard housing and the UN Refugee Agency says the situation is“deteriorating drastically.” An estimated 600,000 refugee children, many of whom have just spent a harsh winter in tents, are no long attending school.

Mark Ohanian, director of programs for International Orthodox Christian Charities, speaks with Acton Institute Director of Communications John Couretas about the Syria relief effort, and the massive flow of refugees into neighboring countries such as Lebanon.

For those in the West Michigan area, Ohanian will be in Grand Rapids on Sunday, May 17, to give a talk on what’s happening in Syria and the Middle East at St. Nicholas Antiochian Church, 2250 E. Paris Avenue SE Grand Rapids MI 49546. IOCC is one of the few relief agencies doing work inside Syria today. It partners with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East and acts as a lead agency for other church relief organizations and major governmental agencies such as USAID and the United Nations. For more information on the event, visit this link.