Diocesan Resources
Forced to Flee: The Syrian Exodus (2013)
In March, 2011 the Syrian government initiated a crackdown on demonstrators who were critical of President Bashar al-Assad and his leadership. Within a matter of a few months opposition to his government escalated into full scale rebellion that continues to seek his removal. During the intervening period the situation has continued to worsen as the fighting continues and various forms of persecution and threats to life and health persist unabated. By December 2012 more than a half a million Syrian refugees were living in the countries surrounding their homeland or in Northern Africa. More recent estimates claim that by early March 2013 over one million Syrians had fled the country, half of whom are children, and another two million remain internally displaced.
The U.S. Catholic Bishops Respond: In October 2012, the Catholic bishops of the United States initiated a fact-finding mission to the Middle East that focused on the plight of Syrian refugees in the region. During their visit, neighboring countries told the delegation that services to the refugees could be cut back or the refugee flow limited without more support from the international community. Given that the situation has only worsened since, the likelihood of cutbacks and restrictions on refugee protection has only increased. Vulnerable refugee cases, including women with children, the elderly and disabled, and unaccompanied children could suffer the consequences as protection falters and resources become more scarce.