Syria's humanitarian crisis is being forgotten in the blood and thunder of the revolution
By David Blair _World_ Last updated: September 4th, 2012
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Syrian refugee children who fled the violence in their country play with guns at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan (AFP/Getty)
Amid the clash and thunder of Syria’s civil war, the suffering of the country’s civilian population is often overlooked. The latest figures drive home the sheer scale of the country’s humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, about 100,000 people fled Syria during the course of last month alone. That means there are now 234,368 registered refugees, concentrated mainly in Turkey and Jordan.
Another 1.5 million people have been displaced within the country’s borders, according to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, meaning that 8 per cent of the entire national population have fled their homes since the fighting began in March last year. If the same proportion of the British population were to suffer this fate, we would have 4.8 million refugees.
Then there are those who are still living in their homes but need humanitarian aid – whether food supplies or health care – because of the breakdown of essential services. That number comes to another 1 million, according to the UN. Combine that total with the number of displaced persons – both within Syria and in neighbouring countries – and 2.7 million people are now dependent on humanitarian aid – or 13 per cent of the national population. And the UN expects this number to grow still further. Privately, UN officials say they are planning for the day when 4 million Syrians need humanitarian help of some kind.
Just two years ago, a crisis on this scale in Syria was pretty much inconceivable. The fact that it has developed so quickly shows the underlying fragility of the country. And it serves as a reminder that when things go wrong in the Middle East, it happens with bewildering speed.
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