Amnesty condemns world’s ‘pitiful response’ to Syria refugee crisis

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 Friday, 05 December 2014 16:37

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Amnesty International has criticised the world's 'pitiful response' to the Syrian refugee crisis by failing to offer protection to millions of the most vulnerable victims of the conflict.

While 3.8 million refugees from are being hosted by neighbours Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, only 1.7 per cent of this number have been offered sanctuary by the rest of the world, the human rights group said.

The wealthy Gulf states, Russia and China have not offered a resettlement place, and the European Union, apart from Germany, has pledged to resettle a 'paltry' 0.17 per cent of refugees, Amnesty said.

And the total number of Syrians who have applied for asylum in the EU in the past three years was approximately 150,000 - roughly the same as the number of people who flooded into Turkey in the space of just one week in September 2015, the group stressed.

Amnesty's head of Refugee and Migrants’ Rights Sherif Elsayed-Ali said: "The shortfall in the number of resettlement places for refugees offered by the international community is truly shocking. Nearly 380,000 people have been identified as in need of resettlement by the UN refugee agency, yet just a tiny fraction of these people have been offered sanctuary abroad.

"If a tiny country with a weak economy and huge debt like Lebanon can accommodate an increase of a quarter of its population others can certainly be doing more to help.

"The World Food Programme announcement earlier this week that is has been forced to suspend food aid to 1.7 million refugees due to a funding crisis underscores the abysmal response of the international community.

"The complete absence of resettlement pledges from the Gulf is particularly shameful. Linguistic and religious ties should place the Gulf states at the forefront of those offering safe shelter to refugees fleeing persecution and war crimes in Syria."

The lack of international support is now having disastrous consequences with the five main host countries, who are struggling to cope, Amnesty said.

It is calling for at least five per cent of Syria’s refugees to be resettled by the end of 2015 with a further five per cent resettled by 2016.

Mr Elsayed-Ali added: "Next week’s pledging conference must be used to turn the tide around. It is time for world governments to take the courageous steps needed to share the responsibility for this crisis and help avert further suffering.

"While some of the world’s wealthier countries including the USA, the UK and Kuwait have made generous contributions to the UN humanitarian response this alone is not enough.

"Countries cannot ease their consciences with cash pay-outs then simply wash their hands of the matter.

"With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria and little prospect of refugees being able to return home in the near future, resettlement is essential to help the most vulnerable and ease the burden on host countries in the region.

"The apathy we have witnessed from some of the world’s wealthiest countries has been exacerbated by scare-mongering over rising immigration levels across Europe. Those with the economic means to do so must play a greater role."