Seeing the images of refugee children dying, families crowded into train stations and herded into communities of desolation by the sides of the roads, staring over the barbed wire fences, sleeping on the dirt, carrying what little they have, people around the world are beginning to pay attention.
This pain is not new: It’s been building for years on the backs of people who have no homes, no jobs, no decent education for their children, no good choices.
They have begun crossing into Europe by the thousands every day, some by boat even though they know many have died that way, taking the risk out of desperate hope for some kind of a future.
The United Nations has termed this the worst migration crisis since World War II. Here are some of the numbers behind the crisis.
Europe
Increasing numbers of desperate refugees are trying to reach Europe. The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 330,000 refugees and migrants have crossed into Europe this year. That flood of migrants (from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and elsewhere) is forcing European nations to consider their policies on accepting refugees and has sparked an international discussion about compassion, diversity (with some countries saying they will only accept Christian refugees, not Muslims) and moral responsibility. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, on Sept. 9 called for the union to accept 160,000 migrants, saying that “turning a blind eye to poor and helpless people, that is not Europe.” Pope Francis issued this call: “May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family,” starting with the Vatican.
Syria
In fighting in the Syrian civil war over the past four years, about 12 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes, the UNHCR estimates – about 8 million inside the country and 4 million fleeing outside the country. The agency reports that those who have left Syria have fled to:
- Turkey: 1.9 million;
- Lebanon: 1.1 million;
- Jordan: 629,000.
Iraq
Since December 2013, more than 4 million have been displaced from central and northern Iraq, the UNHCR estimates.
United States
The pressure is growing for the U.S. to shelter more refugees from Syria – with only1,500 admitted so far. The International Rescue Committee has called on the U.S. to accept at least 65,000 Syrian refugees. On Sept. 10, President Barack Obama said the U.S. would take in at least 10,000 refugees.
Stories of the people
Stories of the refugees have begun to flood the media, including these:
- A team of New York Times journalists has been traveling with the migrants across Europe.
- Melissa Fleming of UNHCR tells the story of the Doaa al Zamel, a 19-year-old Syrian who survived the sinking of a boat crammed with refugees and saved child’s life.
- The Things They Carried: PRI shows what migrants carry on their backs as they travel.
- Refugee: 18 personal stories of Syrian refugees, from the Washington Post.
- The global refugee crisis, region by region, from the New York Times.
How to help
These are among many groups trying to respond:
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance response in Europe, Syria and Iraq.
- World Council of Churches
- ACT Alliance (international alliance of faith-based groups)
- USA for UNHCR
