Also, the Syria crisis will enter its sixth year on 15 March 2016. On 13 March, World Vision Hong Kong will be holding our third annual “Run for Syrian Children” event at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. Come join us in voicing for the voiceless in Syria and raising awareness for the ongoing crisis.

You may also choose to donate red packets to the Syrian children and bring them warmth this winter. Visit here

Click here to learn more about the Syria crisis and World Vision‘s response.

AN APPEAL TO END THE SUFFERING IN SYRIA

Three years ago, the leaders of UN humanitarian agencies issued an urgent appeal to those who could end the conflict in Syria. They called for every effort to save the Syrian people. “Enough”, they said, of the suffering and bloodshed.

That was three years ago.

Now, the war is approaching its sixth brutal year. The bloodshed continues. The suffering deepens.

So today, we – leaders of humanitarian organisations and UN agencies - appeal not only to governments but to each of you - citizens around the world – to add your voices in urging an end to the carnage. To urge that all parties reach agreement on a ceasefire and a path to peace.

More than ever before, the world needs to hear a collective public voice calling for an end to this outrage. Because this conflict and its consequences touch us all.

It touches those in Syria who have lost loved ones and livelihoods, who have been uprooted from their homes, or who live in desperation under siege. Today, some 13.5 million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance. That is not simply a statistic. These are 13.5 million individual human beings whose lives and futures are in jeopardy.

It touches the families who, with few options for a better future, set out on perilous journeys to foreign lands in search of refuge. The war has seen 4.6 million people flee to neighbouring countries and beyond.

It touches a generation of children and young people who – deprived of education and traumatized by the horrors they have experienced –increasingly see their future shaped only by violence.

It touches those far beyond Syria who have seen the violent repercussions of the crisis reach the streets, offices and restaurants closer to their homes.

And it touches all those around the world whose economic wellbeing is affected, in ways visible and invisible, by the conflict.

Those with the ability to stop the suffering can - and therefore should - take action now. Until there is a diplomatic solution to the fighting, such action should include:

• Unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarian organizations to bring immediate relief to all those in need inside Syria
• Humanitarian pauses and unconditional, monitored ceasefires to allow food and other urgent assistance to be delivered to civilians, vaccinations and other health campaigns, and for children to return to school
• A cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure – so that schools and hospitals and water supplies are kept safe
• Freedom of movement for all civilians and the immediate lifting of all sieges by all parties

These are practical actions. There is no practical reason they could not be implemented if there is the will to do so.

In the name of our shared humanity… for the sake of the millions of innocents who have already suffered so much…and for the millions more whose lives and futures hang in the balance, we call for action now.

Now.

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21 January 2016
Names of signatories:

Adriano Campolina, Chief Executive, Actionaid Daniel Wordsworth, President and CEO, American Refugee Committee Marie-Pierre Caley, CEO, ACTED Daigo Takagi, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Chief Executive, AwazCDS and Pakistan Development Alliance Hisham Dirani, CEO, BINAA Organization for Development Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General, Care International Michel Roy, Secretary General, Caritas International Carolyn Woo, President and CEO, Catholic Relief Services Marie Soueid, Policy Counsel, Center for Victims of Torture Meg Gardinier, Secretary General, ChildFund Alliance Leila Zerrougui, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict James Mitchum, Chief Executive Officer, Heart to Heart International Anne Hery, Director for Advocacy and Institutional Relations,Handicap International Handicap International, Belgium Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO, Heifer International Samuel A. Worthington, CEO, InterAction Maryanne Diamond, Chair, International Disability Alliance Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General, CEO, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Nancy A. Aossey, President & CEO, International Medical Corp William L. Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration International Organization for Migration, Netherlands Constantine M. Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO, International Orthodox Christian Charities Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey, CEO, Islamic Relief Worldwide Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J. International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service Lina Sergie Attar, co-founder and CEO, Karam Foundation Kerk in Actie, Netherlands Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps Dato Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, President, Mercy Malaysia Richard Allen, CEO, Mentor Initiative Anne-Marie Helland, General Secretary, Norwegian Church Aid Jan Egeland, Secretary-General, Norwegian Refugee Council Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, Oxfam Great Britain People in Need Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO, Plan International Dirk Van Maele, Director, Plan België Monique van ‘t Hek, Director, Plan Nederland Dr. Tessie San Martin, President and CEO, Plan International USA Curtis N. Rhodes Jr., International Director, Questscope Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Michel Gabaudan, President, Refugees International Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund Thomas G. Kemper, General Secretary, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church Lavinia Limón, President and CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Sarina Prabasi, Chief Executive Officer, WaterAid America Sarah Costa, Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission

Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service Dominic MacSorley, Chief Executive Officer, Concern Worldwide W. Douglas Jackson, PhD, JD, President/CEO, PROJECT C.U.R.E. Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, DEI-Belgique Dr. Dirk Hegmanns, Regional Director Turkey/Syria/Iraq, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe Stephen O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Rosa G. Lizarde, Global Director, Feminist Task Force Global Call to Action against Poverty Florence Syevuo, Global Call to Action against Poverty, Kenya David A. Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities Barry Andrews, CEO, GOAL Ireland Nancy E. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Relief International Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, Religions for Peace Dr. Haytham Alhamwi, Director, Rethink Rebuild Janti Soeripto, Interim CEO, Save the Children, International Patricia Erb, President and CEO, Save the Children Canada Jonas Keiding Lindholm, CEO Save the Children Denmark Kathrin Wieland, CEO, Save the Children Germany Amy Fong, Chief Executive, Save the Children Hong Kong Pim Kraan, Director, Save the Children Netherlands Heather Hayden, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children New Zealand Tove Wang, CEO, Save the Children Norway Justin Forsyth, CEO, Save the Children UK Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children USA SOS Kinderdorpen, Netherlands Dr. Jihad Qaddour, President, Syria Relief and Development Tineke Ceelen, Director, Stichting Vluchteling, Netherlands Abdullah Hanoun, CEO, Syrian Community of the South West UK Cécil Van Maelsaeke, Director, Tearfund, Belgium Tearfund, UK Noreen Gumbo, Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trócaire Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF David Morley, President and CEO, UNICEF Canada Marja-Riitta Ketola, Executive Director, Finnish National Committee for UNICEF Bergsteinn Jónsson, Executive Director, UNICEF Iceland Peter Power, Executive Director, UNICEF Ireland Jan Bouke Wijbrandi, Executive Director, UNICEF Netherlands, Vivien Maidaborn, Executive Director UNICEF New Zealand Bernt G. Apeland, Executive Director, UNICEF Norway Carmelo Angulo Barturen, President, Spanish National Committee for UNICEF, Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, World Food Programme Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization John Lyon, President, World Hope International Hélène H. Oord, Chief, Worldview Mission Kevin Jenkins, President and CEO, World Vision International