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Making Sense of the Worlds Worse Refugee Crisis 

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Making Sense of the Worlds Worse Refugee Crisis 

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Photo Credit: Worldbank.org

Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome. Unfortunately, unbearable conflict or repression forces thousands of people to take the plunge each year. However, over the past two years, the number of refugees has escalated to alarming levels, and there appears to be no end in sight.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by the end of 2014, there were 19.5 million people living as refugees, almost 3 million more than in 2013. The humanitarian agency stated that last year, conflict and persecution displaced over 42,000 people daily! Some moved to "safer" zones within the country in hopes of coming back when things improved. Others gave up on their homeland and left to seek refuge in neighboring nations.

Photo Credit: aa.com

While leaving the country may sound like a great way to start a new life, it is not. That's because refugees are not instantly allowed to become citizens of the country they are seeking asylum in. Instead, they have to register with the United Nations and apply for a new home, a process that could take up to 24 months and sometimes even longer. Meanwhile, they spend their days in tented camps that are often crowded and offer little in the form of amenities. There are also no schools for kids. It is only after they receive an invite from a third country, that they can settle down and start a new life.

But despite knowing the odds, millions of people are opting to become refugees. The numbers are so large that they are being compared to the situation at the end of World War II when between seven and nine million Germans fled or were expelled from Eastern Europe. So what is causing this latest displacement? Read on . . .

Image Credit: UNHCR

The biggest and most pressing refugee crisis involves the residents of Syria who are leaving the country in unprecedented numbers. The issue can be traced back to the series of revolutions that began in Tunisia and then spread to other nations in North Africa and the Middle East. While some of the leaders gave in to the demands for change and resigned, Syria's Bashar al-Assad's was not as accommodating. As a result, Syria has been embroiled in a bitter civil war since then. If that is not bad enough, the residents also have to suffer through the daily atrocities imposed by ISIS members.

It is no wonder that the fear and chaos has caused 12 million Syrians to leave their homes since 2011. Of these 7.6 million have been internally displaced and remain in the country, while 4 million, (one in every five Syrian) have fled to neighboring areas and are currently living as refugees.

Image Credit: UNHCR

Of these, about 2 million are living in camps outside Turkey. Another million have sought refuge in neighboring Lebanon, and about 629,000 are living in makeshift homes in Jordan. Though the three countries were initially sympathetic, their resources are now being stretched thin. As a result, they have tightened their borders, forcing fleeing Syrians to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe.

In 2014, about 219,000 people crossed over to seek asylum in Europe. In just eight months of 2015, the number has increased to over 300,000, and there is no end in sight. What's even more disheartening is that 51% of the refugees are under the age of 18, and 39% are under the age of 11.

Image Credit: UNHCR

To make matters worse, Syrians are not the only ones seeking refuge. Political and other conflicts are causing people to leave Iraq, Eritrea, Southern Sudan, and Afghanistan in record numbers.

Meanwhile, European countries are trying to come up with a solution to handle the increasingly worrisome refugee situation. On September 7th, Germany's Angela Merkel announced that the country would open its borders to all asylum seekers and urged other European nations to do the same. However, the Chancellor was forced to retract her promise and close its boundaries within a week. While the alleged reason is a shortage of beds in the refugee reception centers, many believe the Chancellor and her team were spooked by the large number of refugees that rushed in.

Aerial view of Za'atri camp for Syrian refugees in Jordon (Photo Credit: By U.S. Department of State [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On September 14th, the 28 European Union officials held an emergency meeting to come up a feasible solution. However, it was not very productive. Though the members agreed to settle 160,000 refugees, they could not reach a decision on how many each country would be responsible for. Though it may sound callous not to help another human in need, the officials have to be careful. That's because they also have to consider the cost and impact a large inflow of new immigrants would have on the local communities.

But even the prospect of spending years in crowded tented camps with no stable home does not seem to be deterring the Syrians who continue to flee their country in droves. On Sunday, Sept 14, Hungarian police detained 5,809 refugees, the highest number to cross the Mediterranean since . . . The previous day when 4,330 were held back!

Resources:.com, aljazeera.com, vox.com, news.yahoo.com, the nation

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Making Sense Of The Worst Refugee Crisis Since World War II

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Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome.

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In 2016, Parsons School of Design graduate Angela Luna designed a utilitarian collection of transformable outerwear to help address the shelter, flotation, and visibility challenges that confront refugees, "people who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster." The weatherproof coats, jackets, and capes can convert into tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, child carriers, and inflatable floatation devices. From NewSchool.edu:

"I want to make clothing that does something, as opposed to making clothing that's beautiful or just to be worn," says Luna, who created her collection Design for Difference to help Syrian asylum seekers on their journey to find peace. "Trying to solve problems and be relevant to the fashion market was a major challenge, but it worked out in the end."

Luna, Fashion Design '16, who was named Womenswear Designer of the Year at the 2016 Parsons Benefit, embodies the school's commitment to using design for social good. She has earned praise from the fashion world and proved that designers can do more than just make beautiful clothes-they can change lives.

Luna is now the founder and president of Adiff, a humanitarian fashion startup. Her company is working to design and distribute the innovative garments, as well as educate and raise awareness of refugee crises around the world.

Learn more about Luna's efforts: Why This Young Designer Left Behind Couture And Evening Wear For Ethical Fashion.

Watch more fashion videos and more vids about finding solutions to challenges, including The Fungi in Your Future, This invention helped me write again, the toy-inspired Paperfuge, and the sixteen year old who turned banana peels into a bioplastic.

Plus: Shelter in 24hrs - Emergency Concrete-laced Canvas Tent.

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Tents that turn into jackets: Humanitarian fashion by designer Angela Luna | The Kid Should See This

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In 2016, Parsons School of Design graduate Angela Luna designed a utilitarian collection of transformable outerwear to help address the shelter, flotation, and visibility challenges that confront refugees, "people who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster."

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Do you pay much to the ? Whether you read a newspaper, watch a program on television, or read the on the Internet, it's to keep up with what's going on in the world around you.

Unfortunately , much of the these days tends to of bad . Reports of good deeds and positive outcomes seem to get lost among the reports about accidents, injuries, crimes, and wars.

Although good things do happen every day, the sad is that bad things happen, too. In places around the world by and war, simply staying alive on a daily basis is the only good many people can look forward to.

For many people in such countries, the only reasonable to make their lives better is to leave. Can you imagine things getting so bad where you live that you would flee your home, leaving almost everything you have and many of your family and friends, to seek a better life in another country? That's the sad for millions of people who become refugees.

War isn't the only cause of refugees, though. Refugees are people forced to flee to another country because of war, violence, or a legitimate fear of persecution based upon nationality, religion, race, , or membership in a particular group.

, , and religious disputes that lead to violence or war are some of the primary causes of refugees around the world. People who become refugees are often forced to flee with little warning. Sometimes they barely have time to pack more than a few clothes and belongings.

The trip to a foreign country can be . Sometimes people who flee only move to another, safer place within their home country. When they don't cross an international border, they're known as internally displaced persons rather than refugees.

Being forced to leave your home under terrible circumstances is something no one should have to face. For refugees, the struggle often doesn't end when they make it to a different country. The country they flee to might not want them or be in a position to offer them much help.

Many countries voluntarily accept a certain number of refugees every year. The 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (sometimes called the Geneva Convention) defined a basic set of legal protections, social rights, and living assistance for refugees.This set was amended in 1967. Countries voluntarily agree to the terms outlined and provide these basic services.

Today, some researchers estimate that there are more than 60 million forcibly displaced people around the world. Sadly, about 50% of those people are children under the age of 18. Over half of those displaced populations were forced to flee conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

Most refugees eventually return to their home countries when the conditions that forced them to flee have changed. Sometimes people are never able to return to their home countries, so they're forced to seek resettlement in a new country.

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Do you pay much to the ? Whether you read a newspaper, watch a program on television, or read the on the Internet, it's to keep up with what's going on in the world around you. Unfortunately , much of the these days tends to of bad .