The Syrian refugee crisis is escalating at a breathtaking pace. In early March the UN estimated that four million people in Syria were in urgent need of assistance; by late April, the number had shot up to 6.8 million.

And more than 7,000 people are fleeing to neighboring countries every day.

But aid providers are struggling to raise funds for this emergency, and there are serious obstacles to reaching people in need within Syria.

In a new report, “Overtaken by Need,” Oxfam lays out the latest facts and figures and warns of the consequences of neglecting this human-made disaster.

Numbers only hint at what’s happening on the ground, though, so our colleagues in the region have also sent us pictures of people they’ve met—a reminder that every one of the millions affected is a human being with a story.

Like Samira (see below), a widow and mother who fled with her family to Lebanon. “We decided to come to Lebanon because of the fighting that was taking place,” she said. “We couldn’t get any food anymore, we couldn’t live our lives, we lost our jobs, and we worried that we couldn’t stay alive.”

Now she is safe from the weapons of war, but not from the elements: her family spent the frigid winter in a homemade shelter built of cinder blocks, cardboard, and plastic sheeting. And day and night she keeps a vigil. “I just can’t stop thinking about how to feed my children and how to protect them.”

Learn more about how Oxfam is helping Syrian refugees and donate now to support these efforts.

Elizabeth Rojas, health and nutrition program coordinator for the community organization El Mantaro Revive. "“We are concerned about children’s health in La Oroya. Many have just started to recover from high levels of lead in their blood, and what happens now will be critical for them. Always, the most vulnerable population is the poorest.” Photo: Percy Ramirez/Oxfam America

Women like Elizabeth Rojas, above, are at the heart of an effort to defend public health and the environment in La Oroya, Peru, a city that’s been called one of the most polluted places on earth. While legislators and CEOs debate whether or not to reopen the Doe Run Peru lead smelter in La Oroya, these women continue their efforts to protect the community—even when it means putting their own safety at risk. Add your support by signing the petition at http://bit.ly/HEVNZQ.

Hear more from La Oroya’s women leaders on Flickr, and help raise awareness by watching and sharing the bilingual slideshow below. (Expand the slideshow and select “show info,” upper right, to read their testimonials in English and Spanish.)

Scuffing through the powdered-sugar dusting of snow on the streets the other day, zipping up my bulky down coat against the chill, I realized there’s no avoiding it: another New England winter is here. And with the Midwest reeling from a giant snowstorm last weekend, we Bostonians are not the only ones bundled up against the cold.

In northern Pakistan’s Swat Valley, winter is also settling in. December through February are the coldest months in this mountainous region, bringing heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures. This winter could be especially difficult for the thousands of people in who lost their homes, belongings, and livestock during Pakistan’s devastating floods earlier this year.

That’s why Oxfam is working to distribute thousands of winter survival kits in the Swat Valley before snowstorms cut off access to remote communities. According to Oxfam’s Jane Beesley and Caroline Gluck, who recently put together a photo slideshow about the kits (above), “Oxfam is distributing the survival kits—which consist of quilts, shawls, sweaters, and socks—with the help of its local partner, Lasoona. These warm items will go to the most vulnerable families who lost their homes and possessions, including female-headed households.” (Click on each photo in the slideshow to learn more.)

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