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International Humanitarian Aids in Disaster
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1st Mate
14 minutes ago
D/B W 13
Wael Alotaibi
COLLAPSE
Different Kinds of Diseases in the Refugee Camps
Most of the refugees have complicated medical problems ranging from physical
damages to emotional trauma. Refugees face poor sanitary distribution, poor housing,
hard employment conditions, unhealthy nutrition, and inadequate medical care and
access. They face diseases of the skin, digestive system illness, respiratory infections,
psychological trauma, and mental disorders (Karasapan, 2018). The government,
together with non-governmental organizations, should provide work to those
internally displaced with practice and help them with equipped doctors to enable them
to access excellent medical services. Specialized doctors should be submitted to give
treatment for different diseases. Different doctors and nurses from different countries
should give free aid due to the weak economy of Syria.
Overcrowding and Poor Health Care
Due to overcrowding in refugee camps, many youths face child labor and early child
marriages. The congregated area is the ground for transmission of vulnerable diseases
like polio and tuberculosis. The diseases, though contained and eradicated, have more
risks when they outbreak. There have been cases of tuberculosis outbreak with a high
rate of spreading within the Syrian refugee camps. To curb this challenge, the
government should give refugees free access to public health care services. UNHCR
should also take part in administering drugs and healthcare services to Syrian refugee
camps. Refugees in camps should be issued with health insurance policies to help
them acquire treatment services with a lot of ease. To curb the problem of
overcrowding, the government, with the help of international organizations, should
help in building more camps and houses for the refugees.
Poor Education in the Host Countries
Research has indicated that Syrian refugees are being discriminated against in the host
counties. Some children end up not getting an education at all; to those who attend
schools, there has been reported cases of bullying refugee children by host country
students (Karam & Zellman, n.d). Host governments and international organizations
have been addressing the situation with short term focus due to limited resources and
political concerns. Education planning should be focused on the long term and with a
more realistic view to induce courage and sensitivity to the social, political, and
economic conditions of the host countries. International organizations and the Syrian
government needs to hold peace meetings and end the crisis to decrease the number of
refugees running for their safety in neighboring countries.
References:
Karasapan, O. (2018). The challenges in providing health care to Syrian refugees. Retrieved
from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/11/15/the-challengesin-providing-health-care-to-syrian-refugees/
Karam, R. & Zellman, G. (n.d). Educating Syrian Refugees: Challenges Facing Host Countries
Retrieved from
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP6730
8/RAND_EP67308.pdf
2nd Mate
17 minutes ago
Week 13 discussion
Abdulaziz Almania
COLLAPSE
The Syrian civil war that started back in 2011 derived the Syrian people to one of the most
challenging and devastating humanitarian crises known these days (Howe, 2016). Since the
beginning of the conflict, almost 5.6 million individuals forced to cross the country borders to
other countries in order to escape from the conflict zone (UNHCR, 2019). This large number of
people who escape the conflict zone and currently live in other countries as refugees created
many challenges for the refugees themselves. The refugees in the hosting countries are struggling
and facing many challenges, including getting health care, enrolling in schools, and poverty.
By looking into the Syrian refugees’ population and what they been through before they
arrive at the hosting countries, we can predict that they may have medical or psychological issues
due to the conflict (Karasapan, 2018). Within the time, the Syrian refugees in the hosting
countries found themselves in a situation that will not allow them to access the health care
system unless they pay for it, which is a massive challenge for them when we know most of
them are poor. For instance, in Jordan, the Syrian refugees were not obligated to pay for health
care at first (Karasapan, 2018). In November 2014, the Jordanian government passed legislation
stating that the Syrian refugees are compelled to pay for health care (Karasapan, 2018). In March
2018, with the Jordanian economy deuteration, the health care cost increased by almost three
times more (Karasapan, 2018).
In addition to the challenges in getting health care, the Syrian refugees in the host
countries also have challenges when it comes to the school’s enrollment. Education has a
fundamental function in reducing the psychological impact of the fleeing and conflicts,
especially in school-age children (Aras & Yasun, 2016). Despite all the effort from the hosting
countries and the international humanitarian community, more than 40% of the school-age
children are not getting any education (World Vision, 2019). One reason for this high percentage
of uneducated children is that the education system in the hosting countries is overwhelmed by
the sudden increase in the students’ counts (Culbertson & Constant, 2015). Other reasons that the
percentage of Syrian refugees are not able to get an education are the inability to pay the school
fees and the lack of transportation (Culbertson & Constant, 2015). We can link the last two
reasons for the increased percentage of uneducated Syrian children to poverty, which is also a
challenge that Syrian refugees face in the hosting countries.
Another challenge that affects most of the Syrian refugees is poverty. Most of the Syrian
refugees left everything behind them, looking to look for a safe refuge (World Bank, n.d.).
Poverty can be linked to health care challenges and education challenges. By knowing that
almost 74% of the Syrian refugees in the three major hosting countries Turkey, Lebanon, and
Jordan, are under the poverty line, it is obvious why they are struggling with paying for health
care. Moreover, studies suggest that poverty may have a more negative effect on refugee students
learning activities than post-trauma stress disorder (Huang, 2019).
From an emergency management perspective, I can think of two solutions that may
reduce these challenges for a considerable percentage of the refugees in the hosting countries.
Both solutions involved listing the refugees as workers. First, in the refugee communities, we
can see who has the credentials as a health care provider or a teacher. Then, we provide them
with short courses to test their abilities to perform the jobs we need them to fill. Then, we give
them paid work in the camps’ clinics as health care providers or as teachers in schools. This
solution will increase their income, which will decrease their poverty. This solution were adapted
in the health care field by the Turkish government, with help from WHO and other
organizations, and it prove its effectiveness (Karasapan, 2018). I believe that we can use that
solution in the education field as well. Increasing the teachers and health care practitioners’
numbers using this solution will increase the education and the health care system capabilities.
Also, it will reduce the poverty levels in refugee camps or in those who live outside the camps.
Second, we can integrate the Syrian refugees who are above 18 in the community as full
or part-time workers, which will increase their income and may provide them with some kind of
employment insurance. In addition, making the refugees work will reduce their suffering when it
comes to providing to their families because they feel that they are obligated to provide for their
families (Huang, 2019). From my point of view, as humanitarian organizations, it is better to
invest in the refugee’s abilities, which will benefit them in a long way than just providing them
with emergency assistance over a certain amount of time.
References
Aras, B., & Yasun, S. (2016, July). THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES OF SYRIAN REFUGEE STUDENTS IN TURKEY: TEMPORARY
EDUCATION CENTERS AND BEYOND. Retrieved from
http://research.sabanciuniv.edu/29697/1/syrianrefugees.pdf.
Culbertson, S. & Constant, L. (2015). Education of Syrian Refugee Children: Managing the
Crisis in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?hl=ar&lr=&id=bhVqCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=syria
n+refugee+crisis+in+education&ots=_oJydfGFzt&sig=oP5ZppfAFpDyTIQhrTkQiMtph7w#v=o
nepage&q=syrian%20refugee%20crisis%20in%20education&f=false
Karasapan, O. (2018, November 15). The challenges in providing health care to Syrian refugees.
Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/11/15/the-challengesin-providing-health-care-to-syrian-refugees/.
UNHCR. (2019, March 7). Syria Refugee Crisis Explained. Retrieved
from https://www.unrefugees.org/news/syria-refugee-crisis-explained/
World Vision. (2019, October 18). Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help.
Retrieved from https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts.
Huang, P. (2019, October 28). A Teen Refugee’s Brain May Be Disrupted More By Poverty
Than Past Trauma. Retrieved
from https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/10/28/773424283/a-teen-refugees-brainmay-be-disrupted-more-by-poverty-than-past-trauma.
World Bank. (n.d.). The Welfare of Syrian Refugees: Evidence from Jordan and Lebanon.
Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/publication/the-welfare-of-syrianrefugees-evidence-from-jordan-and-lebanon.
Howe, K. (2016, January). Planning from the Future: A Case Study of Humanitarian Action and
the Syria Conflict. Retrieved
from https://bblearn.philau.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id
=_379450_1&course_id=_20821_1
3rd Mate
Molly Basilio
The Syrian Refugee crisis has been a hot button topic in America, with politicians using
the situation for political gain and integrating it into their overall stances on refugees in
the country. I remember hearing about it when I was in high school on the news. While
there are many challenges associated with such a complex refugee crisis, three
challenges do stick out that could potentially be worked with through coordination within
the international community.
It seems to me that the unwillingness of states in the EU and America has created a
political filibuster to progress. The effort spent to secure borders and keep refugees out
could be better used to set up sustainable refugee camps for these individuals. The
countries that denied the influx of refugees have cited mainly security and economic
reasons for their denial. However, the reasons are likely xenophobic (Heisbourg, 2015).
Germany is an exception to the stone-walling that was exhibited by other nations
(Heisbourg, 2015). They elected to open their borders to an unlimited number of
refugees, which earned them backlash on the international stage (Heisbourg, 2015). I
wonder when doing what is morally right became wrong in the eyes of other developed
nations. I understand that there are risks; however, it seems cruel to deny people who
pass screening a chance at a better life. It is unfortunate that human life has a cost and
that the burden of providing those funds and provisions falls upon countries not directly
involved in the Syrian conflict. Establishing a streamlined process to vet refugees and
distribute them among host nations in the EU might help alleviate the political strain that
is felt across the region. Also, leaders might need to be reminded that these are real
people with real lives and families, and to deny them entry based on ethnicity or
nationality is strikingly similar to what has happened in previous conflicts – with
devastating results.
The second issue that I think can be addressed is the quality of life that refugees face
when they arrive in their host countries, specifically regarding the additional strain on
healthcare systems. The influx of individuals into Lebanon has increased the country’s
population by 30% and presents a case study on the resilience that is necessary for
public health systems faced with the crisis (Ammar et al., 2016). The remarkable thing
about the Lebanese health system is that it did not crumble under the surge conditions,
but instead thrived and even improved under the increased demand conditions (Ammar
et al., 2016). The dispersion pattern of the Syrian refugees is unique in a way that might
contribute to the increased healthcare resiliency. There aren’t any refugee camps – the
refugees are primarily settled among the Lebanese population, with 17% living in
“informal tented settlements” (Ammar et al., 2016). Housing refugees this way may
facilitate the integration of the refugees into Lebanese society, and allow them to live
healthier lives. While the concept of refugee camps is well established, It might be
worthwhile to evaluate whether these are the best solution for resettlement. While
people are in camps, they are often subjected to tight living conditions contributing to
respiratory disease, limited access to water, food, and healthcare. Additionally, it may
prevent asylum-seekers from integrating into the local economy and creates a situation
where they are a burden instead of a constructive force. Moreover, the decentralization
of the population allowed the healthcare burden to be spread across the country instead
of concentrated in one or two regions (Ammar et al., 2016). The situation certainly
presents some food for thought on how we can evaluate our current practices and
potentially make improvements and modifications to systems already in place.
The third challenge that the crisis presents is the issue of international security, which is
inevitably tied to the other two problems. There have been reports of ISIL terrorists
posing as refugees to infiltrate target countries such as France (Gabiam, 2016).
Accepting refugees with expedited background and identity checks increases the
porosity of borders and likely weakens the strength of our homeland security here in the
United States and for other nations abroad. Humanitarian and national security efforts
have found themselves at odds in the case of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, which poses
issues (Gabiam, 2016). First, nations have been historically reluctant to accept massive
amounts of refugees from the crisis citing risks associated with terrorism (Gabiam,
2016). They are unwilling to invite what could be seen as a small army inside their
borders. Second, although the conditions in refugee camps are not ideal or healthy for
many, the camps provide a way for the host nations to maintain surveillance and control
over the refugee population to mitigate against criminal activity (Gabiam, 2016). Third,
and finally, the vetting process can take weeks to complete, which is too slow in the
face of an emergent crisis (Gabiam, 2016). Creating better screening systems for
refugees would enable them to have access to a better quality of life in their asylum
country while also curbing the amount of economic assistance required by camps.
Perhaps establishing camps only as a screening point instead of long-term housing
could alleviate the overcrowding and financial need they demonstrate. Establishing
required check-ins with immigration officials could also help keep track of individuals
that pass the vetting process. Humanitarian and security requirements have to be
balanced to achieve the best outcome for both the asylum country and the refugees.
Politics often create a win-lose mentality, but there is no reason we cannot look for winwin solutions as emergency managers.
Ammar, W., Kdouh, O., Hammoud, R., Hamadeh, R., Harb, H., Ammar, Z., … Zalloua,
P. A. (2016). Health system resilience: Lebanon and the Syrian refugee crisis. Journal of
global health, 6(2), 020704. doi:10.7189/jogh.06.020704
Gabiam, N. (2016). Humanitarianism, Development, and Security in the 21st Century:
Lessons from the Syrian Refugee Crisis. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 48(2), 382–
386. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743816000131
Heisbourg, F. (2015). The strategic implications of the Syrian refugee
crisis. Survival, 57(6), 7-20.
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