Displacement of peoples at its highest since WW2
MOHAMAD and his wife, Sara, knew they had to leave their home in Syria. âWe were gathering outside and, suddenly, a big bomb came from behind,â Mohamad says. âIt was very close, no more than 20 or 30m.â
Their home was destroyed and their cousins were killed. They had no choice but to leave, in search of safety, and have been unable to return as the war continues.
âWe had three rooms for two people. We now live in one room,â Sara says wistfully.
âWe were very happy in Syria. Now, we are always afraid. The difference is between heaven and hell.â
Mohamad and Saraâs story is horrific, but not uncommon. In Syria, 12m people are in need of humanitarian assistance and 4m people have fled the country in fear of violence.
Seven million people within the country have been displaced from their homes. Thatâs 35% of the population, the highest number in the world.
This is not an issue confined to Syria.
Global, forced displacement is the highest it has been since the Second World War, fuelled by the ongoing civil war in Syria and the brutal conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic. Almost 60m people have been forcibly displaced from their homes â a 16% increase on 2013. One in every 122 people is now displaced by war, violence, or persecution.
To put this number in context, the displaced people of the world could fill the Aviva Stadium 1,000 times.
The numbers are staggering. The scale of this global crisis is beyond control and becoming ever more protracted.
Once uprooted from their homes, people spend an average of 17 to 20 years in half-lives, dependent on insufficient humanitarian assistance. More than half of refugees are children, at risk of missing out on vital years of education, not to mention the freedom to enjoy a carefree childhood at home.
The world is overwhelmingly reliant on developing countries to absorb this record number of displaced people. Last year, 86% of refugees sought safety in under-developed nations.
Lebanon, a country far smaller than Ireland, has welcomed more than 1m refugees from Syria. This has increased its population by a quarter, overstretching resources and increasing tensions between host communities and newcomers. There arenât enough jobs or school places and not enough clean water. As a result, millions of people remain in need of aid. It is vital that the humanitarian response to Syria is adequately funded. Until the war can be resolved, funding is badly needed to provide for those who have lost everything â they need basic necessities, like food, shelter, and clean water.
These are innocent civilians whose lives have been torn apart by conflict.
Though the international community has been generous, funding has not kept pace with growing needs.
All the while, political will to find solutions is elusive or is insufficiently pursued.
Although humanitarian aid and assistance can help those immediately affected by the horrors of war, it can ultimately only provide temporary relief. It cannot do what needs to be done â a political solution to war.
If the situation continues and escalates, we are facing a collapse of the entire region. This will have worldwide consequences, resulting in yet more conflict, human displacement, poverty, and suffering.
Much more needs to be done at the highest political levels â through urgent and consistent political pressure, matched with the necessary funds to protect the lives of the victims. Backing-off, easing-up, and consigning Syria to a crisis that is âtoo complex to solveâ are morally unacceptable.
As we mark World Refugee Day, this Saturday, we remember the resilience and endurance of people like Mohamad and Sara, who, with millions of people around the globe, have had to flee their homes.
We urge the UN Security Council and the regional powers, who have the greatest ability to influence change, to match that resilience with renewed political resolve to end this human tragedy.
