The Syrian Refugee Crisis

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A refugee is defined as an individual who has been forced to leave their country due to political or religious reasons, or due to threat of war or violence. There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014, 14.4 million under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 2.9 million more than in 2013. The other 5.1 million Palestinian refugees are registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). With the displacement of so many people, it is difficult to find countries willing to accept all the refugees. There are over 125 different countries that currently host refugees, and with this commitment comes the responsibility of ensuring these refugees have access to the basic requirements of life; a place to live, food to eat, and a form of employment or access to education. Currently, the largest cause of refugees is the Syrian civil war, which has displaced over 2.1 million people. As a country of relative wealth, the United States should be able to provide refuge for many refugees, as well as provide monetary support to the refugees that they are not able to receive.

Countries surrounding Syrian, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq have taken in the vast majority of Syrian refugees. In some countries, such as Lebanon, Syrian refugees make up over a quarter of the population. This causes extreme economic strain on a country, and can greatly increase the amount of poverty that is seen there. As refugees continue to flee their countries civil war, surrounding countries struggle to cope with the influx of new people into their country.

Camps for displaced people hoping to cross into and gain refugee status in neighboring countries can be seen fro...

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.... 20 Jan 2014.

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