The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugee’s most recent statistics on the Syrian refugee response reported 1,230,822 registered refugees in the region. Another 970,318 people are waiting to be registered. Together that is 2,210,140 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, the equivalent of the combined populations of Rhode Island and Delaware. Escalating violence in the region has only accelerated the flow of refugees.
Refugees have fled to neighboring countries including Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. The increasing number of refugees has placed a strain on their host countries, which are being forced to reach into their own pockets to construct camps, provide energy and water, and distribute health and education services. For several, their guests have stayed beyond their welcome.
Lebanon
The 396,931 refugees that have arrived in Lebanon have increased the country’s size by 10 percent. According to Lynsey Addario, a photographer from The New York Times, not all of the refugees in Lebanon have been registered – and the Lebanese government is unwilling to acknowledge them, set up camps for them, or give them government aid due to a fear of permanent settlement.
Because the Lebanese government has been unwilling to build camps, according the Addario, conditions in Lebanon are chaotic and unsanitary:
“You have refugees living in storefronts, in garages, underneath bakeries. You have them living inside of other people’s homes. You have 4 or 5 families in one house, under one roof. There are labor camps that used to be set up for seasonal laborers near the borders of Syria in Lebanon, and those camps have just been taken over my refugees and they are absolutely horrendous conditions. There is raw sewage everywhere. They have been given nothing, absolutely nothing. They aren’t getting medical checks, the children have skin diseases. Most of the parents complained that their children had diarrhea and stomach conditions. They’re living in absolute squalor.”
Iraq
Syrians have also taken refuge in neighboring Iraq – a country already stretched beyond capacity. Over 1 million Iraqis are internally displaced persons, affected by current insurgency movements and a legacy of sectarian violence. Between caring for the newly arrived refugees and their own IDPs, Iraq is particularly strained under the current scenario. While it closed its borders to refugees in August, it chose to reopen them in September, admitting all refugees with the exception of young men (ostensibly for security reasons).
Jordan
Already reliant heavily on funding from the United States and the Gulf to balance its budget, Jordan has been struggling under the economic burden of the refugee crisis. The United States, which recently pledged $200 million to assist Jordan’s efforts, has barely scratched the surface of the financial needs.
In Jordan, the situation has sparked a debate about whether the presence of refugees will harm Jordanian’s access to jobs, education, and health services. In addition, memories of the 1970 civil war between the Jordanian government and Palestinian refugees have made authorities and civilians alike particularly wary of conflict and destabilization that could unfold.
Turkey
Turkey has faced considerable expenses so far setting up refugee camps: over $600 million. Until recently, Turkey has relied on its own wealth and the government-controlled Turkish Red Crescent to fund refugee assistance. While most refugees from a poor background are directed to the refugee camps, wealthier Syrians are permitted to rent Turkish accommodations.
However, the social and political costs of admitting refugees have been great for Turkey. The Turkish government is concerned that Syria’s sectarian troubles will be transferred to Turkey. Many cities that are housing refuges, such as the Turkish city Antakya, are dominated by Turkish Alawis that are sympathetic to Assad. Understandably, the refugees aren’t. These social and political divisions have caused some Turks to view the Syrian refugees as dangerous.
On March 27, Turkey faced international scrutiny after a fire in the refugee tent city of Akcakale led to the death of a 7-year-old Syrian child. Refugees, who blamed the fire on faulty electrical-supply provided by Turkey, rioted against the authorities in the camp. Turkish military police fired tear gas and water hoses at protesters and were accused of ordering the refugees to leave Turkey. As the refugees are protected by international law from forcible return, international human rights organizations and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees have begun investigations into the case.
International Efforts
Now in the third year of the Syrian crisis, funding for international relief agencies has so far been unable to meet their needs.
The United Nations, which is currently making an appeal for $1.5 billion dollars to cover its expenses for the first half of the 2013 fiscal year, has received barely one-fifth of the money. UNICEF, which supplied drinking water supplies, mobile clinics, and inoculations to refugees in the region, is seeking $220 million for expenses in 2013, but has only raised $45 million so far. In order to make ends meet, it has taken $32 million from their operating expenses in order to maintain their operations in the region. The crisis is so great that a United Nations representative used the phrase “broke” in a recent press conference.
Next Steps
While the United States, France, and Great Britain continue debates over whether or not to provide arms or further humanitarian assistance to Syrian rebel forces, the refugees that have been produced by the Syrian crisis remain badly in need of assistance.
The United States has provided donations to refugee camps in Jordan and is working through the United Nations and UNICEF to help the refugees, but funding remains the barrier to aiding the refugees.
It’s sobering that international organizations, NGOs, and relief agencies have not been able to collect the funding necessary to handle this crisis. The situation is Syria is the single largest refugee crisis in recent history. People have been informed; the crisis has received tremendous international coverage, flooding news headlines and receiving substantial airtime. It’s not a factor of the money not being available. What it comes down to, and what is perhaps the most frightening about this news story, is that governments – and people – simply haven’t been giving. Either they are not interested, or because this news story has been so prolonged, they are bored.
Boredom is not a sufficient excuse. If something doesn’t change, thousands of refugees will go without shelter, without beds, and without water.
Those interested in playing their part in the refugee crisis should consider donating to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees’ work here or to UNICEF here.
