Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
When Syria’s civil war broke out in 2011, thousands left their homes. As the conflict drew in external powers like Russia, the US and various jihadists groups, more than half of Syria’s population was displaced – about 12 million people. Most remained in Syria, but more than five million fled to neighbouring countries. Lebanon took in around 1.5 million and became the country with the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Syrian refugees in Lebanon were often impoverished – even more so after an economic crisis in 2019. Now, as Israel expands its campaign against Hezbollah, more than 300,000 Syrian refugees have headed back over the border. Syria is still far from a safe haven. It remains one of the top countries of origin for asylum seekers in developed counties, according to a new OECD report. Human Rights Watch warned last month that returning Syrians, particularly men, faced repression and persecution by Assad’s government.
