The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Ten Years Later: How the United States Can Improve Its Response

THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS, TEN YEARS

LATER: HOW THE UNITED STATES CAN

IMPROVE ITS RESPONSE

JESSICA DOUMIT*

I. INTRODUCTION

March 2021 marked the tenth year of the Syrian civil war and the resulting

Syrian refugee crisis. With an estimated 6.6 million refugees and 6.7 million

internally displaced persons,

1

Syrians constitute the largest forcibly displaced

population globally.

2

Syria’s neighboring countries have opened their borders

to millions of refugees,

3

donor organizations and countries have pledged bil-

lions for the Syrian crisis,

4

and civil society organizations have responded by

delivering various resources.

5

Nonetheless, there is still a funding gap in

addressing the crisis and providing social and economic resources.

6

The

COVID-19 pandemic further widened this gap and added challenges for

* Jessica Doumit, J.D. Candidate, 2021, Georgetown University Law Center; B.A. International

Development Studies and Arabic, magna cum laude, 2017, University of California, Los Angeles.

© 2021, Jessica Doumit.

1. Syria Refugee Crisis Explained, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMM’R FOR REFUGEES, https://www.

unrefugees.org/news/syria-refugee-crisis-explained/ (last visited Dec. 8, 2020).

2. As of the end of 2019. Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2019, UNITED NATIONS HIGH

COMM’R FOR REFUGEES 9 (June 9, 2020), https://www.unhcr.org/5ee200e37.pdf.

3. There are approximately 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey, 880,000 registered

Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and 660,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan—the top three hosting

countries for Syrian refugees. Durable Solutions Dashboard, September 2020, UNITED NATIONS HIGH

COMM’R FOR REFUGEES 1 (Nov. 17, 2020), https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/83045.

4. See Co-chairs’ Statement Annex: Fundraising, EUROPEAN COUNCIL (June 2020), https://www.

consilium.europa.eu/media/44789/syria-conference-statement-annex-2020-pledging-statement_30062020.

pdf.

5. See, e.g., Syria: How does the IRC help in Syria?, INT’L RESCUE COMM., https://www.rescue.org/

country/syria#how-does-the-irc-help-in-syria (last visited Jan. 24, 2020); Syrian Refugee Crisis, CARE,

https://care.org/our-work/disaster-response/emergencies/syrian-refugee-crisis/ (last visited Jan. 3, 2020).

6. See Rima Cherri & Houssam Hariri, Funding gap threatens more misery for destitute Syrians,

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMM’R FOR REFUGEES (April 23, 2018), https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/

latest/2018/4/5adddd154/funding-gap-threatens-misery-destitute-syrians.html (noting a funding gap in

providing cash assistance for families); After 9 years of tragedy, resilience and solidarity, the world must

not forget displaced Syrians, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMM’R FOR REFUGEES (March 10, 2020), https://

www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/press/2020/3/5e67ade92d6/9-years-tragedy-resilience-solidarity-world-must-

forget-displaced-syrians.html (“The gap between actual needs and available resources is widening by the

day. Lack of aid, limited access to health services and education increase daily costs and risk pushing

refugee families into an irreversible spiral of vulnerability.”); Billy Briggs, Funding gap means cuts to

education programmes for Syrian refugees in Jordan, THEIRWORLD (Sept. 20, 2018), https://theirworld.

org/news/funding-gap-hits-education-services-syrian-refugees-jordan.

679