United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Transcription

1 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Topic A: The Syrian Refugee Crisis Chair: Daniel Weinberg Moderator: Natalie Gallon Vice Chair(s): Nirma Amarakoon, Sophia Lou April 10 13, 2014 Weinberg 1

2 The Syrian Refugee Crisis Introduction In March 2011, the Arab Spring extended into Syria with protests against the rule of Bashar al-assad and the Ba'ath Party. These originally peaceful demonstrations quickly morphed into armed rebellion led by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) after they faced extremely violent military retaliation. The Syrian civil war is currently in its third year, devastating the country and its people. While there have been mentions of peace talks, there has been no concrete indication that the conflict will end in the near future. Currently, there are over 2 million Syrian refugees, and it is projected that Syrian refugees will continue to pour out of the country as the war continues, additionally with many more people becoming internally displaced (IDPs) (UNHCR). It is estimated that approximately three fourths of these refugees are vulnerable populations women, children, and elderly (UNHCR). The majority of the refugees have fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt, however more recently many of the refugees have been reaching Southern European countries. Many of these refugees are in fact refugees of other countries, such as Palestine, that were welcomed in Syria but have again been forced to flee. The countries harboring Syrian refugees are faced with many challenges, such as providing educational, nutritional, medical services particularly to children, reforming refugee camp management, and creating ways in which the refugees can participate in the economy. The refugee populations are having a major impact on the countries that harbor them, taking tolls on their economies, societies, security, and environments. Another, less direct problem is the potential for sectarian or ethnic tension in the Middle Eastern countries hosting the refugees, given the long history of sectarian divisions in the region that may be exacerbated by the burden of refugees (Morris and Ramadan). Additionally, within Syria it is extremely difficult to access and provide Weinberg 2

3 services to IDPs due to obvious security constraints as well as internal sanctions which have caused shortages of critical medical supplies and domestic items. While the Syrian refugee crisis may seem like a problem limited to the Middle East, it will actually require a great deal of international support as it continues to become more intense, especially in funding the governments of the countries housing refugees; funding the refugee populations and the refugee camps directly; and welcoming resettlement, humanitarian admission, and family reunification opportunities. Right now, some of the largest areas of concern are: providing protection, health services (especially urgent given the recent outbreak of polio within the country), monetary assistance, and scarce basic necessities to IDPs, especially given that security constraints have made it difficult to effectively deliver these services; providing basic necessary care as well as educational services to refugees within camps in other countries; developing a sustainable resettlement project for refugees and asylum seekers; developing a means of limiting or eliminating sexual or gender-based violence (SGBV) and exploitation as well as a response system and counseling services for those who have become victims; and raising funds for implementing all these aforementioned projects (UNICEF). Statistics provided by UNHCR (as of 11/24/13): Total persons of concern 2,249,034 Registered Syrian Refugees 2,169,100 Persons awaiting registration 79,934 Refugee populations in Jordan 553,311 Lebanon 824,288 Turkey 522,111 Egypt 127,733 Iraq 206,632 Total funding appeal $2,981,640,112 Received to date $1,838,711,147 (62%) (UNHCR) Weinberg 3

4 Background and Current Situation The Timeline In March of 2011, protests break out in the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as the city of Deraa (alternate spelling: Darra), as the protestors demand the release of political prisoners held throughout the country by the Syrian leader, Bashar al-assad. In Damascus, the response to the protests is mostly peaceful, with few problems arising. However, in Deraa, violence breaks out. The police respond brutally to the demonstration, as security forces shoot a number of people who are peacefully protesting (Kaphle). This day, March 15 th, is largely considered to be the beginning of what would become the Syrian Revolution and what would quickly devolve into the Syrian Civil War (Flock). By April, only one month after the protests began, refugees begin to flee into neighboring countries. There exists no serious crisis yet, but by May, the government initiates its deployment of the military. Tanks roll into Homs, Deraa, Banyas, and some areas of Damascus, the cities with the most anti-government demonstrations. Due to this, refugees cross over into Lebanon, using an official border crossing frequented by smugglers. The majority of people in this initial wave of refugees are women and children (Migration Policy Centre). In June, refugees commence movement into Turkey after Assad claimed that 120 members of his security forces have been killed by armed gangs in the northwestern town of Jisr al-shughour. Those fleeing into the Turkey number in the thousands, with more continuing to enter Turkey as the month went on and the fighting intensified (BBC World News). In July, President Assad fires the governor of Hama, the northern area which is the center of much of the conflict, and sends in troops to the region with the mission to restore order at all costs. July also brings with it a surge of Syrians fleeing into Jordan, with most of these asylum seekers coming from the city of Deraa (Migration Policy Centre). By August, Barack Obama Weinberg 4

5 is officially calling for Assad to step down, as the United States orders all assets belonging to the Syrian government to be frozen. This represents a huge policy change for the United States, as leaders had originally been reluctant to call for the outright overthrow of Assad, fearing that there would be no central authority in Syria capable of stepping in to fill the power vacuum (Radia). In October, thousands of Syrians cross into the Lebanese town of Wadi Khaled, but complaints arise that friends of the Assad regime within the town are kidnapping refugees and handing them over to the Shabiha (pro-assad militia) (Migration Policy Centre). Up until November, the Arab League had been working with Syria, a member of the League, to draw up a peace plan. However, in November, the Arab League suspends Syria for failing to uphold its end of the deal on the Arab League-sponsored peace plan. In addition, following the United States, it imposed sanctions on Syria. Also in November, Turkey emerges as a major player in taking in Syrian refugees. While, before this time, Turkey had been taking in Syrians in fairly large numbers, by now, it is clear from sentiments within the Turkish Red Crescent and the sophistication of the tent camps that Turkey is in this for the long haul. The only caveat of this is that Turkey is refusing to refer to the Syrians being provided for within its borders as refugees, instead choosing to call them guests, as it assumes that all will return to their homes in Syria once the fighting ends (Stack). This semantic choice carries with it much weight about how Syrians view themselves and how Turks view their assistance. In December, Arab League observers are finally allowed into Syria to monitor the situation, but have to be pulled out due to worsening security conditions. In 2012, after a similar resolution was blocked in the Security Council by China and Russia, a non-binding peace plan for Syria is agreed to, with even the Syrian government formally accepting the terms, which include a cease-fire by Syrian forces, a daily two-hour-long stop to the fighting to allow for humanitarian aid activities, and an agreement to look for peaceful solutions to the current Weinberg 5

6 crisis (Russia Today). Also in March, Lebanon s Bekaa valley begins to become the main destination for Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon. This represents a shift, as Syrians used to mostly go to cities in northern Lebanon, but the Bekaa valley is a mostly rural area in eastern Lebanon. Instead of being able to be partially integrated into the local economy of a city, these refugees must rely mostly on humanitarian aid, because they are now settling in agricultural towns and hills instead of urban areas. Later on in March, the UNHCR, realizing that this crisis has caused a drastic shortage in funding, makes an appeal to the international community for $84 million in aid to help refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. In April, the Domiz refugee camp opens in Iraq, and it will soon become the largest Syrian refugee camp in Iraq (Migration Policy Centre). Later in April, things began to look hopeful after a cease-fire was brokered by the United Nations. Leading up to the cease-fire, thousands of refugees poured out of Syria into Turkey, with over two-thousand making the trip in one day. At the same time, reports are coming in that land mines have been planted on the Syrian side of the border to stop people from escaping (Migration Policy Centre). By July, fighting has increased in Aleppo, a Syrian city only fifty miles from the Turkish border. Over 200,000 people fled Aleppo, with thousands of them crossing over into Turkey. In response to this, Greece prepares its borders to potentially take in refugees. Later in the same month, tens of thousands of refugees fled into Lebanon after top ranking members of Assad s government were killed in a bombing. Again in July, due to increased fighting near the Turkish border, Turkish officials close the entire Syrian border. To relieve pressure on Jordanian cities (where most Syrian refugees in Jordan live), the UNHCR opens the Zaatri refugee camp in northern Jordan, which can hold over 100,000 people (Migration Policy Centre). In August, the UN General Assembly demands that Assad resign (BBC World News). Weinberg 6

7 In September, riots break out in the Zaatri camp as refugees protest poor living conditions. Protests had been held in the camp before, but never on this scale. Conditions do eventually improve in the camp, but many complain that the camp is inaccessible, as many are shot attempting to cross into Jordan. In December, worry breaks out, as tuberculosis is found in almost forty refugees living in Lebanon. In an end-of-the-year appeal, the UN requests $1 billion from international donors in order to assist Syrian refugees (Migration Policy Centre). In addition to this, the United States, Britain, France, Turkey, and the Gulf states formally recognize the opposition s National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people (BBC World News). In January, poor weather conditions expose the vulnerability of refugees living in camps, as hundreds of tents collapse. By the end of January, the UNHCR has only raised about 3% of the total funds that it needs to properly assist those affected by the Syrian refugee crisis (Migration Policy Centre). Number of Registered Syrian Refugees over Time (UNHCR) The Issues The issues facing refugees can be split into two categories: protection, and essential needs and services. The most important part of protecting refugees is ensuring that there exist safe spaces for them to live, whether they are in or out of refugee camps. This is an issue, as not many countries Weinberg 7

8 are willing to take in Syrian refugees. Neighboring countries have borne the brunt of this burden, but tensions are rising and space is becoming scarcer. Jordanians originally welcomed the refugees with open arms, but now complain that they are losing their jobs to Syrians willing to work at a fraction of their normal wages (Blackwell). Similar sentiments exist in Lebanon, with many storeowners complaining that new Syrian shops are putting them out of business (Surk). Going one (or many) step(s) further, a refugee camp in the Bekaa valley was put to the torch by local villagers who claimed that members of the camp abused a local boy, a charge which the refugees from the camp fervently deny (Morris and Ramadan). In Egypt, the official policy remains to fully support the Syrian people and the uprising in Syria, but Amnesty International published a report accusing Egyptian authorities of arresting and deporting Syrians (Al Jazeera; Associated Press). Many other countries are either unwilling or unable to take in refugees to help ease the burden on these countries. For example, Bulgaria has recently become a popular destination, but the problems there are too numerous to list, as the asylum system is hopelessly broken (Hilton). While much of Europe has the capability to take in refugees, only ten European Union member states have offered to do so, with the total number of spots offered amounting to only about 12,000, 10,000 of which are being offered up by Germany. Increasingly nationalistic and anti-immigrant governments in the EU only make it more challenging for refugees to be resettled there (Amnesty International). Though protection for all refugees is important, it is especially important to ensure the protection of those with disabilities, as well as children, the elderly, and women, as these groups face additional hardships from being refugees. In addition, these groups represent a large part of the population, as 18% of refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, and about 20% of all refugees are currently living with at least one impairment (UNHCR, 17). Beyond this, in Egypt, 25% of Syrians thought the country was unsafe for Syrian women because of sexual harassment. In Jordan, over 40% of Weinberg 8

9 women and girls said that they spend most of their time at home, due to the fact that they worry about being abused or harassed while outside. In Iraq, young Syrians say that sexual and genderbased violence is an important concern both in and out of refugee camps (UNHCR, 18). As for children, it is well established that this long-term exposure to hardship and violence can carry with it serious consequences for their psychological wellbeing. Child labor is another serious concern, as it is estimated that about 30,000 Syrian children are currently working in Jordan alone. Along with the issues of protection for children comes the matter of statelessness of children. 77% of newborn refugees do not have an official birth certificate. This problem has been partially remedied, as Lebanon has now agreed to create a registration program for Syrian refugees, but many Syrians still do not know how to properly register their children. This lack of official registration carries with it many consequences, such as the inaccessibility of public services, inability to gain employment and identification documents, and being denied from gaining an education. This problem extends beyond just children, though, as over 500,000 Palestinian refugees were settled in Syria when the civil war broke out. Since the conflict began, about half have been displaced, and 80,000 have fled to neighboring countries (UNHCR, 19-20). While the UNHCR is attempting to work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to ensure that countries treat all refugees equally and do not refoul Palestinian refugees that have fled Syria, this effort has not been entirely successful. The principle of non-refoulement prevents anyone from being sent back to a country where they face the immediate threat of harm or persecution. According to a report from Human Rights Watch, [s]ince late 2011, Jordan has prevented Palestinians single military-aged men, and anyone without identity documents from entering Jordan (Human Rights Watch). This is an outright violation of the 1951 Weinberg 9

10 Refugee Convention, which requires that countries do not reject refugees who may face danger in their home countries (Human Rights Watch). Then, there are the issues of refugees essential needs and services. For food, the majority of refugees rely on food assistance, and over 70% of refugees in Egypt and Lebanon are food insecure, meaning that they do not have reliable access to safe and nutritious food. By 2014, there will be over three million refugees in need of food assistance, making food insecurity a problem with a massive scale and cost (UNHCR 21-22). As for shelter, there are at least 500,000 Syrians who need their shelter to be upgraded in order to have it be safe and protect them from the elements, something which is especially important during the winter. While summer is also a dangerous month, snowfall often causes tents to cave in, injuring those inside. Tent camps may be a cheaper option for housing such a large number of people, but it not the safest option, and thus, many of those currently living in tents will require further shelter assistance. Better housing options, however, come with a steep price for those who have left everything behind, and 62% of refugees living in Turkey but outside of camps report living with more than seven family members in overcrowded conditions (UNHCR 22-23). This overcrowding only exacerbates health problems, as can be seen by the recent outbreak of polio in Lebanon and Syria. There is now a rush to vaccinate children, but this is difficult, especially inside of Syria, where Assad s government is denying access to humanitarian agencies (Jamjoom). While there have only been a few confirmed cases of polio causing child paralysis, up to 200 children may be infected for every one that experiences paralysis, potentially making this a massive issue. There is also the problem of pregnancy and childbirth, with 5% of newborns in Lebanon requiring intensive care due to birthing and prenatal problems. However, this does not even cover those who need care due to poor nutrition in mother s diets or malnutrition due to excessive use of formula over breast feeding (UNHCR, 23-24). Weinberg 10

11 Then, there is education. Due to a variety of cross-sectional factors, over 60% of school-age refugee children are currently not enrolled in school, with 90% of those in Egypt not attending school. Such factors include language barriers, school expenses, overcrowding, fear of SGBV, familial need for money, and lack of documentation, making lack of education a tough problem to tackle. Furthermore, the problems faced by refugees attempting to get an education are different in each host country, rendering a blanket solution nigh impossible. How to Organize Solutions The UNHCR maintains that its number one priority when it comes to assisting Syrian refugees is overall protection. This means providing a safe environment for refugees, which has become increasingly difficult due to increasing numbers of refugees and not enough countries willing to take them in. Finding a place for the refugees to go will always be the number one priority, as all issues that need to be dealt with within refugee populations are moot if there does not exist safe spaces for refugees to live. While there is much to be done in the long term, it is always the focus of the UNHCR to deal with meeting immediate humanitarian needs (UNHCR). One way of breaking this meeting of needs down is to split it into three categories that are identified by the outputs that each action results in: life-saving or preventing immediate risk of harm, preventing deterioration of vulnerabilities, and capacity-building and resilience. An example of policy actions that would, respectively, fall under each category is protecting refugees from the dangers of an active warzone, preventing food insecurity, and training local staff to better manage camps. Another way to break this down is to divide actions into the two categories of issues: protection and meeting essential needs and services. Examples of the former include preventing sexual and gender-based violence Weinberg 11

12 (SGBV), protecting children, and averting statelessness, while examples of the latter include meeting needs relating to food security; shelter; nutrition; education; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and joblessness. One issue to consider throughout all discussions of solutions is funding. There is much that could be done, if only there did not exist a massive funding gap due to lack of commitment from international donors. Currently, there is a 32% gap in funding. In monetary terms, that equates to almost $1 billion that the UNHCR needs, but does not have access to (UNHCR). Weinberg 12

13 Bloc Positions Most of the members of the Arab League and a majority of the countries within North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia are willing to help Syrian refugees to varying degrees. The Arab League, a regional organization formed from all 22 Arab countries, is the keenest on helping Syrian refugees as its members are impacted the most by the crisis. Although some countries within the league, such as Iran, support Assad, the Arab League as a whole officially backs the Syrian rebels. This was illustrated by the league s decision to give the Syrian government s seat to the Syrian National Council, a rebel group. As such, the countries in the league except for Syria recognize the existence and difficulties surrounding Syrian refugees. In the past, the Arab League approved over $100 million in aid for Syrian refugees and also called for Syria s neighbors to keep borders open, enabling refugees to reach safe havens (Reuters). Overall though, the Arab League prioritizes ending the war between the government and rebel groups. Separately, the countries within the Arab League have not been affected equally by the Syrian refugee crisis. For countries advocating for the Syrian government, the issue of refugees is not as important as a humanitarian issue since most refugees would side with the rebels. Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq have all called for increased international aid as they have the most concentrated populations of refugees. Most of the other Arab countries, however, have minimal refugee populations so their efforts have been limited. North American and European countries sympathize with the difficulties faced by Syrian refugees. The majority of countries are in favor of more aid, the protection of human rights and possibly creating leniency for border restrictions in the countries neighboring Syria. Some countries, including the United States, have even agreed to set special quotas to help resettle Syrian refugees (Cumming). Germany, for example, has relieved the burden of Syrian refugees in Lebanon by giving 5,000 refugees two-year residence permits (UNHCR). These countries have financially supported Weinberg 13

14 UNHCR to aid Syrian refugees and many, within NATO, have worked to aid refugees in the southeastern part of Syria. Over the past two years, European countries have provided a total of $2.5 billion to countries hosting refugees in the region. As the number of Syrian refugees in Europe is increasing, however, many countries have started to tighten border security (Ghattas Saab). The humanitarian aspects of the Syrian crisis are important to these countries, and they tend to hold the view that the best way to end the war is through diplomacy. Latin American and Asian countries have had limited roles within the Syrian refugee crisis. Although they are less active within this refugee crisis, most have signed the UN Convention and Protocol concerning the status of refugees. Thus, they are most likely to be advocates for refugee safety, but they will tend to oppose foreign intervention for the conflict overall. Brazil, however, has been more proactive. It has only taken in 200 refugees, as transporting people from Syria to Brazil is expensive, but it is at least making an effort (UNHCR). As can be seen from above, most countries and supranational organizations visibly voice their support for all matters concerning Syrian refugees. However, within specific countries, such as Jordan and Lebanon, support for nigh unrestricted acceptance of refugees from their neighbor is waning. In addition, while Bahrain openly accepts refugees and has even begun nationalizing some of them, the Shiite opposition claims that the Sunni government is only doing this to raise the number of Sunnis in the country, seeing as most fleeing Syrians are Sunni. This greatly affects Iran s position on the crisis, seeing as Iran has a deep interest in keeping Bahrain a majority Shiite country (Mamouri). Weinberg 14

15 Questions to Consider 1. What conditions do Syrian refugees currently face? 2. What are the humanitarian needs? 3. What measures have various governmental and non-governmental organizations taken to ameliorate the Syrian refugee crisis? 4. Do refugee camps provide basic necessities? If not, how can they be provided? 5. What issues does repatriation pose? What can be done to overcome these issues? 6. What issues does integration pose? What can be done to overcome these issues? 7. How are nations harboring Syrian refugees reacting to the refugee crisis? 8. How can the burden on nations harboring Syrian refugees be reduced? 9. What organizations and nations are the largest stakeholders in the Syrian refugee crisis? 10. What is the underlying cause for the increase in Syrian refugees? How can these issues be tackled? Weinberg 15

16 Recommended Sources UNHCR Overview of Syrian Conflict: UNHCR Regional Response Plan: Various Timelines of Syrian Conflict: Overview of Crisis: Human Rights Watch on Syria: Protocols on the Status of Refugees: Weinberg 16

17 Bibliography Al Jazeera; Associated Press. Egypt deporting Syrian refugees, Amnesty says. 17 October December 2013 < Amnesty International. Fortress Europe: Syrian refugee shame expsoed. 13 December December 2013 < BBC World News. Syria Profile. 12 December December 2013 < Blackwell, Tom. Jordanians growing resentful as jobs, resources go to Syrian refugees. 22 May December 2013 < Cumming, Bruce. "Countries Agree to Special Quotas for Syrian Refugees." The New York Times 1 October Flock, Elizabeth. Syria revolution: A revolt brews against Bashar al- Assad s regime. 15 March December 2013 < Ghattas Saab, Antoine. "Europe Struggles with Funds for Refugees." The Daily Star 26 November Hilton, Jodi. Syrian refugees face bleak time in Bulgaria's broken asylum system. 24 October December 2013 < Human Rights Watch. Iraq/Jordan/Turkey: Syrians Blocked from Fleeing War. 1 July December 2013 < Jamjoom, Mohammed. Syrian refugees in Lebanon face polio threat. 16 December December 2013 < Kaphle, Anup. Timeline: Unrest in Syria. 17 December December 2013 < Mamouri, Ali. Sectarianism Guides Mideast Media Coverage of Syria, Bahrain. 19 September December 2013 < Migration Policy Centre. Timeline. n.d. 20 December 2013 < Morris, Loveday and Ahmed Ramadan. Torched Syrian camp in Lebanon illustrates tension between refugees, residents. 4 December December 2013 < tension-between-refugees-residents/2013/12/04/94f81b42-5cf6-11e3-8d24-31c016b976b2_story.html>. Radia, Kirit. Obama Calls on Syria's Assad to Step Down, Freezes Assets. 18 August December 2013 < Reuters. "Syria Crisis: Arab League Offers $100 Million to Aid Refugees." Huffington Post 23 July Weinberg 17

18 Russia Today. Syrian govt accepts Annan's 6-point peace plan. 27 March December 2013 < Stack, Liam. For Refugees From Syria, a Visit With No Expiration Date. 14 November December 2013 < Surk, Barbara. Syrians, Lebanese job competition adds to tensions. 3 October December 2013 < UNHCR Income as of 19 December Budget. Geneva: United Nations, Syria Regional Response Plan. Geneva: United Nations, Hands Across the Water: Brazil's large Syrian community absorbs refugees. 6 August December 2013 < "UNHCR Head Says International Community Must Share Burden of Syrian Refugees." 30 September UNICEF. "Syria Crisis Bi-weekly humanitarian situation report: 25 October-14 November 2013." Weinberg 18