Why Is There A Refugee Crisis?
Christopher Phillips: “The refugee crisis has seen a huge movement of people leaving their homes, often due to conflict. Over 5 million people have fled Syria since the conflict broke out, a quarter of the pre-war population and another 6 million are internally displaced. Actually, a very small proportion of Syria's refugees have come to Europe. The vast majority are heading to Syria's immediate neighbours. The massive influx of refugees into neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan is placing huge strain on these countries, many of whom are quite poor and politically unstable. Turkey has received over 3 million refugees, Lebanon has received a million despite only having a population of 4 million, itself, meaning one in five people in Lebanon is now a Syrian refugee. This is likely to have a very long-term impact. Studies on refugees have shown that it takes refugees 10 years after the conflict has ended, before half of those that have fled return. So we should expect the majority of Syrians to stay in their host countries for some time. If you think of similar displacements in the past, notably the Palestinian crisis in 1948, that is something that still hasn't been resolved today, and Palestinians still live in refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, and until recently, Syria.”
Gain an understanding of the Syria conflict in Syria: A Conflict Explored, a season of exhibitions and events held at IWM London — part of IWM's Conflict Now programming strand.
The ongoing conflict has already lasted longer than the Second World War. As a result, nearly half a million people have been killed. Almost eleven million – half the pre-war population – have been forced from their homes and much of the country lies in ruins.
Christopher Phillips has co-curated Syria: Story Of A Conflict alongside IWM, a display looking at the origins, escalations and human impact of the conflict.
