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Syria Refugee Crisis

Daniel Telele
Oct 6, 2015
2 min read

The United Nations (UN) has deemed the refugee crisis in Syria as the worst displacement since the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. By the end of 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that nearly 9 million Syrians will have been internally or externally displaced. As the world struggles to react, it becomes increasingly important to understand the genesis of the Civil War which has facilitated the crisis.

Despite a long history of religious and political tensions in Syria, the Arab Spring in 2011 sparked an uprising against the ruling Shia-minority Al-Assad family. The regime began when Hafez Al-Assad rose to power in the 1970s during a military coup. Following his death in 2000, he was succeeded by his son, Bashar Al-Assad. Bashar’s response to the protests inspired by the Arab Spring was swift and harsh, drawing significant criticism from the western international community.

As conflict mounted, opposition forces began to mobilize against the Government. The main groups are the Free Syrian Army, the Kurds, and the Islamic State (ISIL). Violent clashes among these groups, as well as foreign military action aiming to contain the chaos, have forced civilians to flee their homes. Widespread claims of torture, murder, and rape—on all fronts—has made daily life in certain areas of Syria unbearable. Unfortunately, over 50% of the refugees who have fled are under the age of 18.

Many of the refugees have embarked on perilous journeys to neighboring countries and Europe in search of safety; however, some never reach their final destination. Most of the larger host countries in the region countries lack sufficient infrastructure and political stability to manage the influx of refugees—notably: Turkey (2 million), Lebanon (1.2 million), Jordan (650,000), Iraq (250,000), and Egypt (150,000). For example, in Turkey Syrians face a language barrier and laws that prohibit even highly skilled workers from entering the workplace. In Iraq and Egypt, internal instability provides little hope for refugees seeking a permeate residence. Criticism on the weak response of wealthier Middles Eastern countries (such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar) and the European Union has reached a peak as knowledge of the conditions refugees are facing continues to surface. It has become a highly sensitive political dispute where the human costs continue to rise exponentially.