Syria: The millions displaced and the impact on neighbouring countries

The daily drudgery of water collection at Rukban. AP Photo.

Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year, has driven more than 60 per cent of its pre-war population from their homes.

According to UN estimates, 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country as refugees, seeking safety in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and beyond. Another 8.7 million Syrians are displaced inside Syria, forced by conflict or insecurity to move homes, villages or even regions, often many times over.

The massive exodus of humanity from Syria has placed enormous pressure on nearby countries.

In Jordan, the addition of almost a million Syrians has skewed demographics to the point where, according to World Bank officials, refugees now constitute a third of the population.

The rapid arrival of so many Syrians has driven rents up and wages down as Syrians have flooded Jordan’s informal labour market. Infrastructure like water and healthcare are at breaking point, officials say, and the country’s security services are struggling to cope.

Protecting Jordan’s borders has become an increasing challenge, with more extremist elements active in Syria and also a rise in the number of displaced Syrians sheltering along Jordan’s desert. For this, border guard forces and intelligence services have the backing of Jordan’s staunchest ally, the United States.

“The US will not allow ISIL to relocate to southern Syria,” said US presidential envoy Brett McGurk at a briefing in Amman on November 6.

Observers say greater challenges could still lie ahead, when the operation to oust ISIL from Raqqa begins, potentially triggering another mass displacement.

“Previous escalations in military action in areas around Palmyra and northeastern Syria stimulated large numbers of people seeking safety along Jordan’s border,” said Adam Coogle, a Jordan-based researcher with Human Rights Watch.