An
unimaginable humanitarian disaster
“The
UN refugee agency reports that Syria's intensifying refugee crisis
will today pass a record 3 million people, amid reports of
horrifying conditions inside the country. These include cities where
populations are surrounded, people are going hungry and civilians are
being indiscriminantly killed.”
"Almost
half of all Syrians have now been forced to abandon their homes and
flee for their lives. One in every eight Syrians has fled across
the border, fully a million more than a year ago. A further 6.5
million are displaced within Syria. Over half of those uprooted are
children,"
“UNHCR
and other aid agencies say increasing numbers of families are
arriving in a shocking state, exhausted, scared and with their
savings depleted. Most have been on the run for a year or more,
fleeing from village to village before taking the final decision to
leave.”
"There
are worrying signs too that the journey out of Syria is becoming
tougher, with many people forced to pay bribes at armed checkpoints
proliferating along the borders. Refugees crossing the desert into
eastern Jordan are being forced to pay smugglers hefty sums (US$100 a
head or more) to take them to safety,"
"Syrians
are now the world's largest refugee population under UNHCR care,
second only in number to the decades-long Palestinian crisis. The
Syria operation is now the largest in UNHCR's 64-year history,"
“...
the Syrian crisis 'has become the biggest humanitarian emergency
of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of
refugees and the countries hosting them.'”
“UNHCR
is also deeply concerned for the well-being of several hundred
Syrians trapped inside the Al Obaidy refugee camp in Al Qa'im, Iraq,
after UN agencies and international NGOs were forced to abandon their
offices and warehouses. UNHCR says national partners are continuing
to provide supplies and maintenance, but the situation is volatile.”
“Many
newly arriving refugees say they only left Syria as a last resort. A
growing number, including more than half of those coming to Lebanon,
have moved at least once before fleeing, and one in 10 have moved
more than three times. One woman told UNHCR she had moved 20 times
before crossing into Lebanon.”
“The
UNHCR statement said a growing share of new arrivals – up to 15
per cent in Jordan, for example – were suffering from long-term
medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer,
and left because they were no longer able to get adequate health care
at home.”
“In
the past year alone, 1.7 million refugees received food aid,
350,000 children were enrolled in school, and shelter in camps was
provided for more than 400,000 refugees. Since the beginning of the
crisis in March 2011, UNHCR has registered refugees faster than at
any time in its history.”
Full
report:
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