The Syrian Refugee Crisis Continues

One of the prime reasons for the wave of migrants, refugees and
asylum seekers washing into Europe is the deterioration of the conditions that Syrians face in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, a worsening largely caused by sharp falls in international funding from United Nations countries, officials and analysts say.

Funding Shortfalls and Cuts in Refugee Aid Fuel Exodus to Europe

The numbers coming to Europe are comparatively small, Ms. Fleming
said, but they seem larger because of Europe’s dysfunctional asylum system.

One of the prime reasons for the wave of migrants, refugees and
asylum seekers washing into Europe is the deterioration of the conditions that Syrians face in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, a worsening largely caused by sharp falls in international funding from United Nations countries, officials and analysts say.

In both Jordan and Lebanon, the World Food Program has halved the value of the vouchers it provides refugees outside camps — to $7 a month per person in Jordan.

The United Nations Syria Regional Refugee
and Resilience Plan, which groups a number of humanitarian agencies and covers development aid for the countries bordering Syria, had by the end of August received just 37 percent of the $4.5 billion appeal for needed funds this year.

It is more than 63 percent underfunded for 2015, the agency said, and recently had to halve the monthly stipend to 211,000 Syrians in regional refugee camps.

António Guterres, the high commissioner for refugees, recently said that his agency’s budget this year would be 10 percent smaller than in 2014, and that it could not keep up with the drastic increase in need from the long Syrian conflict, which includes shelter, water, sanitation, food, medical assistance and education.

One of the prime reasons for the wave of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers washing into Europe is the deterioration of the conditions that Syrians face in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, a worsening largely caused by sharp falls in international funding from United Nations countries, officials and analysts say.

the European Union said last week that it would spend at least $1.1 billion to help accommodate 160,000 refugees it wanted to allocate to member countries.

The United Nations Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, which groups a number of humanitarian agencies and
covers development aid for the countries bordering Syria, had by the end of August received just 37 percent of the $4.5 billion appeal for needed funds this year.

It is more than 63 percent underfunded for 2015, the agency said, and recently had to halve the monthly stipend to 211,000 Syrians in regional refugee camps.

The United Nations Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, which groups a number of humanitarian agencies and
covers development aid for the countries bordering Syria, had by the end of August received just 37 percent of the $4.5 billion appeal for needed funds this year.

Germany alone said it would budget $6.6 billion by the end of the year to deal with 800,000 asylum applicants in Germany...

“The immediate neighbors are buckling under the pressure,” with host communities seeing their populations double or triple, straining health services and infrastructure and creating competition for jobs while driving down wages.

“Conditions in neighboring countries have deteriorated considerably and the protection space is shrinking rapidly, so some Syrians are deciding to move on,” he said.

So far, in the fifth year of a Syrian civil war with no end in sight, nearly half the prewar population of 22 million people is classified as refugees or is internally displaced within Syria.

“It’s this chaos which makes it look like it’s unmanageable,” she said. Yet European countries are budgeting much higher levels of aid to deal with the relatively small flow to Europe. While...

But with savings dwindling and the war showing no signs of abating, “they’re losing that hope.”

“The conditions are now so bad or overstretched in neighboring countries that the people fleeing Syria are choosing, or have no other choice, but to go straight to Europe.”

...have deteriorated considerably and the protection space is shrinking rapidly, so some Syrians are deciding to move on,” he said. “The immediate neighbors are buckling under the pressure,” with host communities seeing their populations double or triple, straining health services and infrastructure and creating competition for jobs while driving down wages. “Funding is not keeping up with the needs,”...

...jobs and health services. About a quarter of Lebanon’s population is now Syrian. Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program in the Middle East, said that “the crisis is going into its fifth year and there is some sign of fatigue among donor countries.”

António Guterres, the high commissioner for refugees, recently said that his agency’s budget this year would be 10 percent smaller than in 2014, and that it could not keep up with the drastic increase in need from the long Syrian conflict, which includes shelter, water, sanitation, food, medical assistance and education.

The United Nations Syria Regional Refugee
and Resilience Plan, which groups a number of humanitarian agencies and covers development aid for the countries bordering Syria, had by the end of August received just 37 percent of the $4.5 billion appeal for needed funds this year.

...chief spokeswoman for Mr. Guterres and the refugee agency. About 70 percent of registered Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, for example, are below the poverty line, creating tensions with local inhabitants for jobs and health services. About a quarter of Lebanon’s population is now Syrian. Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program in the Middle East, said...