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Syrian refugees

Syrian crisis – background

Syrian Civil WarThe Syrian crisis is a multifaceted problem

The key concern is the humanitarian aspect as more than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in almost four and a half years of armed conflict. Among the various factors causing the current crisis in Syria, eight pivotal points stand out. These include the uprising that turned violent, civil war, war crimes, chemical weapons, the humanitarian crisis, rebels, rise of the jihadists, no enforceability mechanisms regarding peace efforts and proxy wars.

Please read this article for more background to the eight pivotal points:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868

The Syrian crisis is profoundly one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time

The conflict essentially began as a peaceful pro-reform movement that sought to remove Bashar al-Assad.

However, this movement quickly escalated and broke into a civil war resulting in a prolonged conflict and a significant loss to civilian lives and large scale displacement of refugees fleeing the conflict. This conflict now has turned into a regional conflict that involves non-state actors and multiple States.

Please read this link for more information regarding the timeline of the Syrian crisis:
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2015/3/13/timeline-syria-4-years-of-devastation

It is tragic to think that the Syrian crisis all started with a peaceful protest in a similar fashion to other nations encompassed by the Arab Spring, and that now, four years on, hundreds of thousands of civilians are dead, millions are displaced, and still there is no end in sight. How will this conflict end? No one truly has the answer, but, the humanitarian efforts should not cease and we should as an international community rise up and help people that flee such dire circumstances.

Sexual servitude: the danger of life as a Syrian refugee

Sexual ServitudeRefugee exploitation is not limited to the actions of people smugglers, and often continues once these refugees have arrived at their destination. Many refugees (predominantly female) suffer sexual abuse at the hands of employers, landlords and even aid distributors in some cases.

Al Jazeera reported one instance of a woman who was asked not only to provide sexual favours to her employer, but to also seek out other Syrian girls in the area who would do the same for him and his friends.

Prostitution for survival

In addition to such sexual abuse, many women are also forced into early marriages or prostitution. Some women do this voluntarily, engaging in what some have termed ‘survival sex’, as they would otherwise not have access to food or shelter.

An additional concern for these women is the need to provide for those within their care. In 2013, of the 205 Syrian women arrested in Lebanon for prostitution, the majority stated that they were engaging in such conduct for the sake of their children.

In other cases, young women are sold into these arrangements by their parents. In these cases, those sold often agree to the transaction due to their sense of obligation to their family. Such a sense of obligation can be considered a potentially destructive aspect of cultures that place significant value on family and familial duties, particularly when one considers that those being sold are often too young to develop their own views on that matter. In many cases, the girls sold are as young as 14.

Yet we cannot throw a blanket of condemnation over those parents who force their children into early marriages. Though it may appear disgraceful for a parent to sell their child in order to survive, many have done so out of a genuine belief that this is in the best interests of their child.

Al Aribiya reports that one woman encouraged her daughter to marry, out of a belief her new husband would protect her from abuse from others (such as an employer demanding sexual favours). However, as that report recognised, more often than not such marriages become abusive themselves.

Female Syrian Refugees advertised on Social Media

What is truly disturbing is not only how widespread this practice is, but the blatant way in which these practices are promoted.

For instance, forced marriages were advertised on Facebook, as seen from the page ‘Syrian Refugees for Marriage’. Whilst this page was taken down in May 2014, its existence reflects a complete absence of shame on the part of those who spearhead such transactions.

This is just one of the many issues that relates to the refugees of the Syrian Civil War. Ideally, nations that house refugees would take greater efforts to ensure that such vulnerable people are provided with the support necessary to ensure their safety throughout their resettlement. If these minimum standards of support are not achieved, this issue will continue to worsen.

Emmanuel Kanellis

The Syrian refugee crisis

Syrian RefugeesThis month’s newsletter addresses the issue of the ‘Syrian Refugee Crisis’. Since the Syrian Civil War began in March 2011, nearly 11 million Syrians have been displaced. Of these, 3.8 million have been made refugees.

These people are fleeing from the relentless violence that pervades their native land, as conflict between the government of President Bashar al-Asad and the multitude of opposition groups continues to intensify.

Such conflict is characterised by severe human rights violations, including the use of torture, the rape of non-combatants and the use of chemical weapons. What is most concerning is that these violations are most routinely committed by the Asad government, leading one to consider whether such violations amount to acts of state terrorism.

This newsletter shall consider the Syrian Civil War itself, providing a brief history of the conflict and an outline of the issues raised. Following this, this newsletter shall consider the plight faced by those fleeing from Syria.