By: Vaishnavi Nibhanupudi
The Syrian Civil War: 9 years of continued armed conflict preceded by years of peaceful protests, causing over 350,000 deaths and at least 150,000 missing. After several pro-democracy protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were met with violence and government suppression, the country descended into war. Two years after the war’s beginning in 2011, the UN reported that 90,000 people had been killed. This number would rapidly increase to 250,000 casualties by 2015. Religious strife in the area between the two major sects of Islam, Sunnis and Shias, also further aggravated the conflict, in addition to the militant group ISIS’s involvement in the war. Amidst the conflict, Syrian cities have been devastated, with the World Bank reporting that an estimated ⅓ of available housing and ½ of educational/medical facilities are being destroyed by the war (Data from World Bank’s 2017 report). As a result of the conditions in Syria, more than 5 million Syrians have been displaced from their home country, having to seek refuge in neighboring Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon.
This massive influx of refugees into these countries has caused a humanitarian crisis, with women and children at the forefront. According to the UNWomen Report on the Status of Syrian Refugee Women, among the registered refugees living in Jordan, 50% are female and 25% are females under the age of 18. Because most refugees are on average younger, Syrian refugees exhibit higher fertility rates. However, this poses a significant crisis as many of these regions are not equipped with sufficient essential medical tools, treatments, and medication needed to provide the proper care for newborns and pregnant women. Countries facing economic difficulties before this crisis are further strained by the refugee influx, and are thereby unable to provide adequate support for women and children refugees.
To support their families, many women feel compelled to take up jobs such as tailoring, tutoring, and cooking, for which a proper work permit is not needed. Many women express a lack of trust and confidence in the aid system; this stems from both a lack of education about the application process, as well as the risk of facing exploitation. Many aid workers in refugee camps have reported that male workers would often provide food and other aid, only in return for sexual favors. Because of this, it is considered dishonorable for women to receive aid.
The risk of being exploited and molested is also extremely prevalent for children in refugee camps, leading to an increase in child marriage among Syrian refugees. Security is often cited as the primary reason for the practice, as well as hopes of obtaining financial stability and escaping poverty.
To make matters worse, during the COVID-19 pandemic, basic hygiene, sanitation, shelter, and food are scarce for displaced refugees. The increasing number of pregnant women live in fear of visiting health facilities out of fear of exposure to the virus for both them and their children. However, the UNFPA has been providing reproductive health services, as well as protective equipment for healthcare workers and sanitary kits to those impacted by the Syrian crisis since January of 2020, providing a great contribution to the solution.
It is vital that we become aware of the crises occurring on the international scale and to bring media attention to them. In an age where technology provides us with the means to connect with people across the globe, we must collectively direct the spotlight towards such issues.
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