the syrian refugee crisis - involved...
TRANSCRIPT
The Syrian Refugee Crisis What’s going on?
The “Arab Spring”
• This was a series of violent and non-violent uprisings that began in late 2010/ early 2011
• These anti-regime revolts spread across the countries in the Arab League as a result of inflation, human rights violations, authoritarianism, unemployment, etc.
• Many of these demonstrations were met with violence from pro-government militias
• As a result, some countries were left in a transitional state while others were drawn into civil war
Catalyzed by self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia.
Syrian Uprising
• The Arab Spring uprisings in Syria lead to armed conflict after the current President, Bashar Al-Assad, refused to resign.
• His government respond to the people using force: killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more. The divide within Syria was partially religious with the Shia minority suppressing the Sunni majority
• Free Syrian Army formed from military defectors
• Violence continued to escalate and the UN reported that by June 2013, there had been 90,000 deaths and by August 2015 there had been 250,000.
Syrian President: Bashar Al-Assad
Syrian Civil War/Resulting Cease Fire
• Deadliest crisis in 21st century • 450,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting • More than a million injured • over 12 million Syrians - half the country's prewar
population - have been displaced from their homes.
• Foreign involvement • Is it a religious sectarian war, proxy war, civil war? • Saudi Arabia (Sunni) funds rebel forces • Iran (Shia) funds Assad. Also backed militant Lebanese
Hezbollah (Shia). • Russia backed Assad (2015) and provided airstrikes
against rebels and ISIS. • U.S. hesitant to get involved. Failed attempt to train
Syrian rebels. Gets more involved after Russia enters the picture. Heads coalition that conducts airstrikes against ISIS.
• Turkey trains Syrian Free Army. Also fights against ISIS and the Kurds.
• ISIL or ISIS used this war as an opportunity to take land
• Kurdish rebels instrumental in fighting against ISIL in SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) to protect Rojava – Northern region.
• Ceasefire (third and final attempt) • Turning point comes after Syrian Army takes Aleppo
from rebel forces. Russia bombs city. Somewhere between 500-600 civilian deaths
• Trilateral agreement: Russia, Turkey, Syria with Iran as signatory
5-year-old Omran Daqneesh in ambulance after being rescued by White Helmets
The White Helmets
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOTWR0Q4qLA
Syrian Refugee Crisis
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvOnXh3NN9w
Syrian Refugee Crisis Many fled and stayed in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. Others left these places for greater safety and better conditions in Europe. Getting to Europe was the dangerous part.
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Many face hypothermia, starvation, and death
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Alan Kurdi, child refugee who drowned trying to reach Europe
Syrian Refugee Crisis: Lifeboat to Europe
Syrian Refugee Crisis in Europe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25a5RRh6nXs
Life in refugee camps are very poor. “You have to walk over an hour to get bread. Long lines for water. Those who made it to Europe were not warmly welcomed in many cases. In Hungary steel barricades with razor wire was setup.
Eurotunnel from Calais, France to U.K.
If you were in their shoes What would you do?:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32057601
Resettlement: Middle East, Europe, America and Canada • Lebanon: 1.1 million. ... • Jordan: 629,000. ... • Iraq: 249,000. ... • Egypt: 132,000. ... • Germany: 98,700. ... • Sweden: 64,700. ... • France: 6,700. ... • United Kingdom: 7,000. • The administration under Obama accepted 10,000 Syrian refugees
• Part of Trump’s executive travel ban would have banned Syrian refugees indefinitely • Canada has taken over 40,000 Syrian refugees
Final thoughts
• This is only part of the current refugee crisis facing the world right now
• Half of the world’s refugees are coming from Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia. • http://info.arte.tv/en/where-do-refugees-come-where-are-they-going
• This is the world’s largest refugee crisis since World War II • A little over 65 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people
• One out of every 113 people on Earth
• Final video: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiujzFNgHcE