Time of Loss: The impact of the Syrian crisis as shared by Syrians in Jordan

Over two years of uninterrupted conflict have caused appalling suffering to Syria and its people; over 100,000 have lost their lives, nearly half of the country has been displaced; schools have been turned into shelters, and hospitals into military targets. In a formerly middle-income nation, limited food supplies are causing children to go hungryi, and violence has caused millions to flee or to become trapped in besieged areas out of the reach of humanitarian aid.

 

Neighbouring countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq are not immune to the consequences of this crisis. In Jordan alone, the refugee influx has risen from 1,000 in September 2011 to over 560,000 at the end of 2013ii. Regionally, the number of refugees has surpassed the two million, a figure unmatched since the post-genocide exodus from Rwandaiii, and numbers are still rising. In host countries, overstretched medical services, limited employment opportunities, and the daily struggle for food and shelter have amplified the already distressing conditions of women and girls, men and boys who have escaped the conflict. The inability of refugees to generate livelihoods and begin to rebuild their lives has deepened their perceived sense of powerlessness. The heightened border restrictions in the region, the constant call for support from host governments, and disquieting community tensions across the region, all indicate that multiple thresholds have been surpassed.

 

This research, conducted primarily among urban refugees in Jordan, provides a snapshot of the refugee experience and key priorities to be urgently addressed in order to mitigate actual and perceived losses faced by refugees in exile. CARE International urges donors, UN agencies and partners to increase collaboration with and support to host governments, to ensure that basic needs and rights of crisis-affected populations are met.