The presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, including countless vulnerable youth, is one of the most familiar—and challenging—aspects of the current Syrian refugee crisis. Most of these displaced youth are living in cities and towns in often desperate conditions, where a very different humanitarian response is required than in traditional camp programming, where most of the long-term expertise in the humanitarian community lies. Like refugees anywhere, these youth and their families are seeking better shelter, more work opportunities and greater security than would be available in their original places of residence or in camp settings.

Women's Refugee Commission Board member Samuel Witten writes about the struggles refugee youth living in the city have to access education or jobs. Read his blog on AlertNet.