Syrian Refugee Crisis

Recently, a photo surfaced of a drowned, three year old Syrian refugee boy who washed up on a Turkey beach. The photo, combined with the unforeseen massive influx of Syrian refugees, revived media attention about the issues Syria is facing. It also helped to increase the amount of money donated to relief efforts.

Syria has been facing conflict for years now, whether that be from the bloody civil war it is battling to the fight against the Islamic State militants. Syria is amidst a major humanitarian crisis, and the civilians are paying a dire price. Millions of Syrians are internally displaced and millions of others have fled to neighboring countries including Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, while others still are fleeing to the West (or at least attempting to). Germany is notable for opening its borders to refugees, while countries such as Hungary and Austria have been less than inviting. Major aid groups, such as Save the Children and Oxfam America, have called out the United States for not doing enough to accept Syrian refugees and that the President and Congress should do more to accept a larger number of refugees.

Is it more money that Syria needs? More countries to open their arms and allow refugees to flow in? Or is there something else that can and should be done?

At the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, life is bleak and the conditions are rough. Food vouchers have been cut, the education is poor if not nonexistent, and infrastructure is a mountain of problems within itself. But life in this camp is much better than what many Syrians were facing back at home. A 26 year old mother of five who resides in Zaatari was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “We’ve become used to a system here, and a way of life. There’s order in terms of security, in terms of service.” The Syrian people here are lacking in some of the most basic human needs, but they are okay with it so they can have some semblance of security and safety.

This is not a crisis that Syria can handle on its own. The world needs to help. Syrians are seeking asylum in other countries, and it is up to those and other able countries to offer some help to the refugees. Those who are fleeing are doing so out of complete desperation because they can no longer stay and fight. Possibly not out of a lack of want, but because they are too worried about how they will feed their children or stay alive to even think about changing the current government. If the larger world powers would prefer to keep the refugees in the camps, then they will have to step up and donate money to the camps. By doing this, those who are there can at least enjoy basic human necessities until they are able to return to their home. Investing in infrastructure, job education, schools, and the like can make a world of a difference for these displaced people. While it may not be “our job” to solve all of their problems, it should be our duty to help when it is needed. The countries to which Syrians are fleeing to, that have the resources available, should do their best to take in as many refugees as they can, which many countries have been doing very well. There can, and should be, checks and processes done when taking in refugees that the countries’ legislators can decide on their own. They should then be integrated into society and seen for their potential, not as a threat or a burden.

This is not just a salient political issue, but a humanitarian one. The Syrian people are in serious need of help, and it is up to the leading countries in the world to set the example.

Ann Nenoff