The conflict in Syria has lasted almost as long as the First and Second World War combined. A generation of children has known nothing but hardship, destruction and deprivation. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in hostilities since 2011 - the tragedy is that no-one knows for sure how many. By any measure, Syria remains a humanitarian catastrophe.
Over 11 million people across Syria need aid and protection while the economic crisis has grown into another major driver of humanitarian need. The poverty rate is over 90 per cent. Many Syrians report they are forced to borrow money to meet basic needs and eating less. Nine years of crisis has stretched livelihoods and services to the breaking point, especially in underserved and overburdened communities.
Half the pre-war population – more than 12 million people - are displaced across the country or scattered throughout the region as refugees. The prospect of returning home for 6.7 million internally displaced people and 5.5 million refugees is uncertain. There are limited job opportunities and, in some areas, ongoing hostilities.
More and more people in Syria are going hungry. Some 9.3 million people are food insecure, an increase of 1.4 million in the last six months alone and the highest number ever recorded. Basic food items are now a staggering 209 per cent higher on average than in June 2019.
After nine years of crisis and growing numbers of refugees, people’s resources and communities’ resilience are increasingly depleted. Those who are displaced are facing a protection and poverty crisis, exacerbated by COVID-19. Millions of displaced have lost their livelihoods, are taking on debt and are increasingly unable to meet their basic needs due to the regional economic crisis and the impact of COVID-19. There is increased risk of child labour, gender-based violence, early marriage and other forms of exploitation. Displaced people in camps or camp-like situations face additional risks as it may be difficult to practice regular handwashing, physical distancing and other key public health measures.
Lebanon’s economy is imploding. Costs of basic goods have tripled, and unemployment is on a rapid rise. It is estimated that nearly 45 percent of the Lebanese now live below the poverty line and lay-offs and salary cuts are challenging people’s coping mechanisms. Refugees in the country report losing livelihoods and skipping meals.
Jordan is strained. Two-thirds of families in a recent survey said they had less than one week of financial resources to draw on at the peak of the lockdown. Another survey found that only a third of the refugees in the country had a secure job to return to after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Some 438,000 Palestine refugees in Syria remain a particularly vulnerable group. Tens of thousands of other Palestine refugees have - once again - been forced to move from Syria to Lebanon, Jordan and elsewhere.
The situation in Syria continues to drive the largest refugee crisis in the world. Of the 5.5 million registered refugees from Syria, 2.6 million are children. In addition, 4.6 million host community members are impacted in the main refugee hosting countries Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Neighbouring countries remain committed to hosting refugees while confronting unparalleled challenges of their own. After nearly a decade of hosting some of the world’s most vulnerable people, host governments face difficulties sustaining services for all, risking social cohesion and development gains.
1 thought on “Syria – Entering a Decade of Humanitarian Crisis”