COVID Impact on Syrian Refugee Crisis

COVID Impact on the Syrian Refugee Crisis

The Syrian Refugee Crisis has been deemed one of the largest humanitarian emergencies of the 21st century by the United Nations. [1] With over 5.6 million Syrian refugees across its borders and 6.2 million displaced within them, around 12 million Syrian people are in need of humanitarian assistance due to internal conflict. This massive issue lays at the hands of the current civil war that has overtaken Syria for the past decade. Its origins can be officially traced to March 15th, 2011, when peaceful student protests quickly spiraled due to the violent response authorities issued against them. Consequently, government troops, militias, armed insurgent groups, and other forces have contributed to the violence that has erupted and left Syrian infrastructure in rubble and its people struggling to survive. [2]

Syrian refugees abroad and displaced populations within Syria due to the civil war face structural violence that has only been exacerbated by the global pandemic. Due to the nature of refugee camps and urban areas that many have sought refuge in, overcrowding is a substantial issue that already creates a  struggle with sanitation and privacy. Now, the pandemic has not only highlighted the risks that living in overcrowded spaces provides, but it has also turned a risky situation into one of emergency since the inability to maintain social distancing will only contribute to the spread of Covid-19. [3]

Additionally, socioeconomic issues, such as access to education or jobs in the formal sector, that already marginalized Syrian victims have also been accentuated by the pandemic. Due to the abrupt hit that many countries’ economies have faced in 2020, those reliant on the informal sector or whose jobs cannot be completed online have lost their main source of income. This has made the once essential remittances sent to Syrian victims an inexistent source of survival. This economic marginalization acts as a barrier towards other essential needs, such as the ability to pay for shelter, food, protection, and, most essential during a pandemic, medical attention. [4]

These magnified issues under Covid-19’s lens have increased the need and complicated the role of humanitarian organizations attempting to provide aid. If the pandemic has created more barriers to delivering aid to preexisting issues, it has also increased the necessity for aid that due to lack of funding, resources, and mobility are difficult to meet. The UNHCR, IRC, and other humanitarian organizations have committed themselves to continue providing assistance through the provision of sanitary supplies (such as fresh water and handwashing stations), shelter, food, and financial aid. There has also been an overhaul in the dissemination of information campaigns to encourage people to take as many precautions as possible to avoid getting sick. 

Movement is essential for refugee camps, however, with the influx of supplies and workers every day it is unlikely that a strict shutdown would be possible, which makes exposure to the virus increasingly likely. In addition, conflict zones have been victim to the destruction of hospitals in the area. This, along with the inability to cross borders with medical supplies in many instances, has created a situation destined to descend into chaos once Covid-19 reaches refugee camps. Once it does, it will ultimately be those who already found themselves to be victims before a global pandemic who will be the biggest casualties of this crisis within a crisis. [5]

*This report was originally written for UF course AEB4282: International Humanitarian Assistance (Fall 2020).

Notes

[1] (n.d.). UN warns of “worst” humanitarian crisis this century as thousands flee Syria’s Idlib. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/20180911-un-warns-worst-crisis-century-thousands-flee-syria-idlib 

[2] (n.d.). Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help | World Vision. Retrieved from https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts 

[3] (n.d.). Refugees do not have the luxury of social distancing | International Rescue Committee (IRC). Retrieved from https://www.rescue.org/article/refugees-do-not-have-luxury-social-distancing 

[4] (n.d.). Refugees and COVID-19: A Closer Look at the Syrian and Rohingya Crises. Retrieved from https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2020/07/refugees-covid-19-closer-syrian-rohingya-crises/ 

[5](n.d.). How the IRC responds to COVID-19 in Syria and other conflict zones | International Rescue Committee (IRC). Retrieved from https://www.rescue.org/article/how-irc-responds-covid-19-syria-and-other-conflict-zones