Syria today:

With more than 6 millions refugees, Syria represents “a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history… The worst humanitarian crisis since Rwanda.” — UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres 

Sakina, my wife is 25% Syrian from her dad's side. Most members of Sakina's direct family in Syria were able and lucky to emigrate to the US and Canada;  there they found help by other family members. However, millions of Syrians currently live in Syria in very precarious conditions. One is five Syrians doesn't have enough food to live on and half of the population is heavily reliant upon humanitarian aid. 

Although Sakina and myself are very grateful because our families, friends and ourselves are healthy,  have shelter and food on the table on a daily basis, we both think we cannot just live our lives forgetting about the world around us. For as little as our efforts may be, we would like to be give back to society and life itself what has been given to us. Therefore, this year, Sakina has decided to join me in my fourth European Cycling Tour. The tour will be more challenging for her than for me. We plan to cycle 900 km in 9 days, which means cycling 100 km day in and day out. We will depart from Copenhagen on the 5th of September and arrive into Brussels on the 13th.

By supporting us in this challenge, you hope to make a little bit of difference for those Syrian people in need. Almost one in three Syrians have fled their homes but remain within the country’s borders. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) are the most vulnerable among all Syrians and are in need of our help. Often they have fled with nothing but their own clothes. 

They remain at risk of conflict-related injury and death, imprisonment, disease, starvation and even hypothermia in winter. 
Some live in makeshift homes without water, sanitation or heating in winter.
Some share homes with many other people (perhaps 10 times more than the home was designed for) 
Some live in refugee camps within Syria, where conditions can be very precarious.
Tens of thousands of protesters have been imprisoned and there are reports of widespread torture in state prisons. 

The name of the charity we have decided to fundraise for is "Hand in Hand For Syria"; they have teams on the ground in Syria which take emergency aid directly to those living under threat and trying to survive in extreme conditions. Besides saving lives and relieving suffering, they help people to stay in Syria instead of fleeing to another country. They provide food and clothing, water and sanitation, and crucial medical aid in a country whose health service has been shattered when it is most urgently needed.

Thank you for reading our story and for helping us to help Syria. We provide more information on our Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/175924655946843/