“We must
face this head on,” Lisa Szarkowski, a representative from UNICEF, spoke of the
impending consequences of ignoring the Syrian refugee crisis. She continued to
state that leaders of the world must come together to address this issue as a
collective. Without significant and genuine efforts from countries in a
position to help, refugees will continue to feel displaced and remain vulnerable
to exploitation.
 |
| https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/ . CC BY 2.0 |
Lebanon
and Greece, among a group of countries that have experienced a vast influx of
refugees, are attempting to pull together resources and solutions to support
this growing population. In Lebanon, faith-based actors and institutions are
specifically reaching out to support incoming refugees, often times without the
approval from the surrounding community or government. In Greece, the
government is looking to integrate refugees within the formal education system.
Dr. Vasileia Digidiki, a psychologist from Harvard University, said, “education
should be a priority… as it is a protective factor for [refugee children].” But
even these countries efforts, whether they are grassroots initiatives or
government mandates, are not fully providing for and empowering the vulnerable refugee
population, which is especially true for women and children.
Considering
refugees are forced to leave their homes, Szarkowski asked, “where would you
have them go?” No one country can handle the resources and support it takes to
care for this many refugees yet countries that have the capacity to step in
are not doing so. The biggest issue is that both receiving countries and refugees
themselves are not facing the reality of the situation. Both parties see this
as a temporary displacement where refugees will soon return back home. But
Szarkowski made it clear that is it vital we face this as a permanent issue
that must be addressed with long-term solutions.
