Syrian Refugee Crisis

The Syrian Civil War

In March 2011, anti-government demonstrations against President Bashar al Assad started in Syria which led to violent response from the government. The conflict gradually transitioned from a peaceful protest to an armed rebellion after months of military sieges. As a result of this humanitarian disaster, more than 7.6 million Syrians have been displaces and over 5 million Syrians have fled to nearby countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Kuwait. A few hundred thousand people have also fled to more distant countries like Germany and Greece. Syria is facing poor living conditions with rampant shortages of food, water and shelter.

Refugees

The number of Syrian refugees that the neighbouring countries have been hosting has reached saturation and countries like Iraq and Jordan are facing a strain on their resources whilst meeting the basic needs. Also cultural tension is widespread in these countries, forcing millions of Syrians to seek shelter in Europe. Europe at the given moment is amidst a huge economic dilemma owing to the Greece crisis. In the first 5 months of 2015, more than 7,00,000 Syrians were newly displaced and the numbers are growing ever since. Syrians have been fleeing on foot, through inflated boats and some have taken extreme measures of swimming through the Mediterranean.

Problems faced by the Refugees

Survival of these refugees itself is a major problem. Syrians have to travel mostly during the night to avoid getting captured by the army militants or shot by snipers. They have no source of income, majority of the refugees are trying to find work in other countries to support their families. The living conditions are inhumane and often the refugees are forced to live in sheds and ruins of old buildings. They face language and cultural barriers in their host countries. Lack of sanitation, clean drinking water and medical facilities has led to breakout of many diseases in the refugee camps. Children who have migrated have an uncertain future as their schooling is disrupted and schools cannot accommodate such a large intake in the middle of any academic year.

Available assistance

The United Nations is planning to allocate $8.4 billion to meet the basic needs of the affected people, however the funding is still under process. Various organizations and countries have come forward to offer monetary as well as voluntary help. Food, medicines, nursing kits, sanitary kits along with other basic necessities are being collected and sent to the refugee camps from all over the world.

Conclusion

The refugee crisis is unlikely to end any time soon. With increase in the number of refugees moving into other neighbouring countries, the host countries are also declaring their saturation levels for accepting more refugees. Official camps have not been set up in a lot of countries which is leading to illegal encroachment into properties and thereby creating problems in the host countries. Refugee status is looked down upon in the host countries, leading to lesser opportunities and discrimination in work and education. Until the superpowers of the world intervene and pool in their resources, the rehabilitation of the Syrian refugees will take a long time.