Trapped: The Plight of Palestinian Refugees From Syria

[oberliner]

Last December, the Palestinian refugee neighborhood of Yarmouk in Damascus was hit by a series of deadly pro-regime airstrikes. In addition to killing 25 civilians, the attack reportedly drove several formerly pro-government Palestinian fighters to defect to the rebel forces. The civilians -- which included women and children -- had taken shelter inside a nearby mosque, according to opposition activists.

The State Department estimates that Yarmouk was home to 150,000 of Syria's 500,000 Palestinian refugees, making it the largest refugee neighborhood in Syria. For over 40 years, the Assad family maintained Syria's position as that of a legitimate protector for Palestinian asylum seekers and their children. The Yarmouk attack, however, shattered whatever was left of this claim, as hundreds of terrified families packed up their belongings and fled to safety. They left for countries with established refugee camps, including Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Jordan has had a particularly long history of harboring refugee populations from border nations. However, faced with surging numbers of shell-shocked Syrian refugees, Jordanian forces have begun turning Palestinian families away at the border, forcing them to return to a country ravaged by a ruthless dictator and to a civil war with no end in sight.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/trapped-the-plight-of-palestinian-refugees-from-syria/274369/

[jessie04]

1. There is so much blame to go around.

Syria treats the palistinians like garbage. Both sides use them as blame.

Jordan apparently is now turning them away at the border....gutless.

Where is the Arab-league or the UN ?

[holdencaufield]

2. The Arab League ...

... has NEVER been a friend to the Palestinians. I was the Arab League who rejected the '47 Partition Plan on behalf of the Palestinians (who were a non-voting member of that league) depriving them of any chance for a homeland of their own. It is the AL who gave approval for the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, by Jordan and Egypt respectively. Who approved of the slaughter of tens of thousands of PLO member in 1970 and who talk a great game about their "brothers" but use them like pawns in a cheap chess set.

As for the UN -- it's a talking shop. The Ladies Aid Society has more influence over what happens in Syria than the UN.

Israel has done more for the Palestinians over the last 30 years than either of the two organisations above. Up until the 2nd Intifada, the bulk of revenues to the Palestinians came not from the Arab World or from Europe, but from Israel. Even today, 10's of thousands of Palestinians are treated (for free) in Israeli Hospitals (where over 100 Palestinian doctors are employed). The bulk of food, medical supplies, and diesel fuel used in Gaza don't come from their brothers in Egypt (who keep their border closed) but from Israel.

[jessie04]

3. There was a documentary on HBO

about a year ago with this adorable little girl from Gaza with leukemia who was treated at a Jerusalem hospital and was cured.

It was a beautiful story.

[holdencaufield]

4. Isn't that kind of hard to reconcile ...

... with the oft-repeated narrative from some "progressives" that Israelis are only vicious war-mongers who only want to exterminate the Palestinians and steal their land?

Maybe they just cured her so they could harvest her organs later, when needed?

[azurnoir]

5. They're right here

Scootaloo (5,407 posts)

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Interactive: Two years on - Syria's refugee crisis

Last edited Sat Mar 16, 2013, 06:14 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2013/03/2013314145918144597.html

March 15 marks two years since the beginning of the conflict in Syria.

Last week the UN refugee body UNHCR reported that more than one million people have already fled the violent conflict in Syria.

Since the start of this year, 422,788 Syrians have become refugees. As the civil war has dragged on, the humanitarian crisis has deepened.

=============

Not a news article per se, but a handy interactive infographic that shows you who these people are, where they are, what's happening with them.

In light of certain poster's jeering / cheering about the "Arab state's" refusing to allow refugees in, let's have a look at the numbers.

Turkey: 185,205 refugees hosted. 17 refugee camps within Turkey.
Lebanon: 345,873 refugees, and three camps.
Iraq: 105,326 refugees and seven camps.
Jordan: 306,356 refugees and two camps.
Egypt: 43,513 refugees registered with UNHCR, estimated over a hundred thousand in total though.
Maghreb nations: 8,280 registered in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco.
Europe: 33,244 refugees there, with the highest density in Germany and Sweden, with 8,835 and 8,460 respectively.

These are the UNHCR numbers; as with Egypt, the actual number of refugees taking refuge in these nations is probably quite a bit higher.

The Saudis have given $10 million for refugees in Jordan
(link:http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-syria-crisis-refugees-saudi-idUSBRE90A0HV20130111)

A Kuwaiti donor conference collected more than $1 billion for the refugees.
(http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130130/blank-headline-received-6)

Iran has pledged refugee aid in Jordan as well as Lebanon, though I can't find any material details.
(http://www.france24.com/en/20130127-iran-says-ready-help-syrian-refugees-jordan and https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/lebanonnews/iran_willing_to_help_syrian_refugees_in_lebanon_envoy_says)

The UAE has pledged $300 million, and runs one of the Jordanian camps.
(http://news.yahoo.com/uae-pledges-300-million-help-syrian-refugees-agency-085213359.html and http://gulfnews.com/news/region/syria/uae-to-open-syrian-refugee-camp-in-jordan-1.1073688)

Qatar is hosting 42 refugees of selected families, and I guess that's, uh, better than absolutely nothing. As are shipments of material aid.
(http://dohanews.co/post/39563736321/qatar-sponsoring-42-syrian-refugees-as-guests-of-the and http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2286390&language=en )

Israel has contributed as well, treating seven men in Ziv medical centre, and there is even some talk of allowing them to stay in Israel.
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9876117/Syrian-refugees-will-not-be-allowed-to-cross-Israel-border.html and http://www.timesofisrael.com/druze-campaign-to-keep-wounded-syrian-refugees-in-israel/)


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