Issue 3: August 3, 2020
Staff
Avery Wang: Contributor, Layout
Diya Britto: Contributor, Social Media
Xander Starobin: Contributor, Web Design
Maya Britto: Contributor
Andrew Szabo: Contributor
Wongel Gebru: Contributor
In this issue...
We're covering Uganda's response to the humanitarian crisis in the DRC, the history and current state of the Syrian refugee crisis, the purpose and process behind setting up an ideal refugee camp, and the refugee resettlement process in the United States.
Uganda Opens Its Borders to Refugees Fleeing DRC Crisis
By Diya Britto
In response to a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda has opened its doors to accept and assist large numbers of Congolese refugees. The DRC is currently facing immense challenges including an ebola virus outbreak and it’s longest measles outbreak in history, in addition to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Current conditions have displaced millions. You can read more about the DRC’s situation in our previous issue on our website.
According to a UNHCR press release, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley commented that over 3,000 Congolese refugees entered Uganda through temporarily opened borders, Golajo and Mount Zeu, over a span of 3 days from July 1 to July 3. The following Friday, border restrictions were reintroduced. It is unclear whether they will open up their borders again. Although Uganda enacted immigration restrictions in March due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Ugandan government has committed to providing aid and shelter to some foreign refugees.
According to a UNHCR press release, Joel Boutroue, UNHCR’s representative in Uganda stated, “My gratitude goes to the Ugandan Government and the local communities for this great show of solidarity with people fleeing conflict. It proves that even in the midst of a global crisis like COVID-19, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards.”
For many years, Uganda has been a prominent refugee hosting country. According to a press release on June 20th from Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda hosted 1,424,373 refugees as of May 2020 from 31 nationalities, the largest refugee population in its history.
Refugees in Uganda have access to health care, education, and many other basic necessities. Uganda is providing refugees with essential resources According to a news briefing on July 7 from Yaxley, the UNHCR has installed several tents, water tanks, health-screening areas, and other facilities in the Zeu Farm institute, a refugee camp where the newly-arrived refugees are being quarantined. The Ugandan Health Ministry has been conducting COVID-19 tests and providing medical care as needed.
Uganda is a great example of a country that has understood the importance of assisting refugees in a safe way despite the global coronavirus pandemic. Refugees need help now more than ever because of the public health threat of COVID-19. Uganda’s response to its situation has proven that there are ways to help refugees while also managing border restrictions and keeping people safe.
Though the UNHCR and government of Uganda are working hard and joining efforts to assist these helpless refugees, they are still facing a number of challenges including underfunding and limited food and resources. You can help by donating to the UNHCR and by spreading the word through social media platforms and your community.
Syrian Refugee Crisis Approaches Its Tenth Year
By Maya Britto
According to UNHCR statistics, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in March 2011, approximately 6.6 million refugees have come from Syria. More refugees come from Syria than any other nation. Over 13.1 million displaced Syrians still in the region are in desperate need of housing, food, and healthcare facilities.
Only 8% of refugees that have fled to neighboring countries are accommodated in refugee camps, and the rest live in urban areas. Regardless of where they reside, most lack sufficient financial resources and have to live in overcrowded shelters in dire conditions.
How It Started
In March 2011, teenagers calling for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were arrested for painting revolutionary slogans on a wall in the city of Daraa. Demonstrators took to the streets to protest the Syrian authoritarian regime in support of the arrested teenagers and democracy. Syrian security forces responded to the non-violent protests with lethal force, using tear gas, guns, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. Wounded protestors were denied medical assistance. According to the Human Rights Watch, forces killed at least 3,500 people and detained thousands, including children. Detainees were subject to torture, including prolonged beatings, rape, electric shock, and humiliation.
The regime’s response only aggravated protestors further, and demands for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation grew. In response, the government launched “large-scale military operations” in towns and cities filled with protestors and placed security forces in residential areas, firing on those who attempted to leave their homes. The UN reported 92,901 deaths between March 2011 and April 2013. By 2015, over 250,000 Syrians had died as a result of the conflict. Tensions escalated, and the large scale destruction of infrastructure forced millions to flee.
U.S. Policy
According to the Congressional Research Service, Former President Barack Obama called for al-Assad’s resignation in August 2011. After the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, Congress agreed to provide nonlethal assistance to Syrian opposition groups. However, in 2014, the Obama Administration requested funding and authority to provide lethal weapons to vetted members of the Syrian opposition to help them defend themselves from the regime.
But the expansion of terrorist organizations in the middle east such as ISIS resulted in a shift of priorities, and counterterrorism efforts became the foremost concern in the region. In September of 2014, U.S. airstrikes in Syria began, in order to prevent ISIS from establishing a base in Syria for operations in Iraq. The next month, the Department of Defense established the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) to help reinforce local Syrian forces against ISIS. As of 2020, according to the Congressional Research Service, 600 U.S troops remain in Syria. Since 2014, the U.S. has prioritized “counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State,” according to a congressional report.
The Trump Administration has continued the “counter-ISIS campaign,” on which the Defense Department has spent at least $40.5 billion as of December 2019. The Administration also hopes to help negotiate a political settlement to the civil war. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 calls for the drafting of a new constitution and an election conducted by the U.N. The Trump Administration intends to withdraw Iranian commanded forces from the area, though officials have stated that it is a political goal rather than a military one, according to a congressional report.
Right Now
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), clashes between rebel armed groups and government forces have escalated in places like the Idlib city and the rest of northwest Syria. Civilians continue to be in danger because of the presence of “explosive hazards and tensions between armed groups.” The devaluation of the Syrian currency, the pound, has accelerated, worsening the lives of Syrians with pre-existing economic struggles.
Also, according to the OCHA, the onset of hotter weather requires weather-appropriate shelter, more access to water, and protection from snakes and scorpions that thrive in this season. On July 6, inadequate food storage options led to 90 cases of food poisoning in a refugee camp in Haranbush, Syria. COVID-19, has of course, exacerbated these issues.
Though this crisis has been going on for so long, it continues to persist with no end in sight. Inform yourselves and others. Donate to refugee organizations. Visit our website for ways to help. Be part of the solution.
How Refugee Camps Alleviate the Effects of a Humanitarian Crisis
By Avery Wang
Refugee camps provide a temporary accommodation for displaced people fleeing crises such as war, famine, or oppression. Organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) collaborate with local authorities, humanitarian aid and nonprofit organizations, and non-governmental organizations to supply necessary items and services and plan the logistics of a camp space. However, despite careful planning, refugee camps are far from an ideal, safe space.
Sometimes, after a humanitarian crisis, a refugee camp is needed to provide shelter and basic necessities to those displaced by the situation. The UNHCR often spearheads the global emergency response to a humanitarian crisis.
Within the first 72 hours of a humanitarian crisis, the UNHCR dispatches an emergency response team to evaluate the situation. Afterwards, they work with local authorities to set up a refugee camp.
According to a UNHCR fact sheet, a refugee camp should provide adequate security, shelter, water and sanitation, emergency relief items, food, healthcare and counseling, and registration and legal aid in a location accessible to large trucks and airplanes, if necessary. Natural features such as shaded areas, stable soil, and water supply are also integral to the smooth functioning of a refugee camp.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments and authorities, and multilateral global organizations like UNHCR work together to provide essential items to refugees, according to a UNHCR report. Nutrient-dense food, blankets, sleeping mats, personal care kits, waste management systems, water purification tools, clothing, and mosquito nets are all examples of essential items.
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Additionally, some organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty International work to provide legal services such as aid in resettlement efforts and medical care to refugees, according to statements from such organizations.
Ideally, a camp’s layout should allow each refugee at least 480 square feet to preserve “dignity and mitigate the risk of health crises,” according to UNHCR statements. This is proving to be especially important during the pandemic, along with other efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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Unfortunately, despite the efforts of nonprofit organizations and refugee camp workers, camps lack the resources and personnel to be sufficient and effective for the refugees who need them.
This article is part of a two-part series on refugee camps. Part two will be published in our September newsletter, and will cover the challenges refugees face within these camps.
The Refugee Resettlement Process in the United States
By Xander Starobin and Wongel Gebru
Refugees who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to resettle must overcome significant challenges to successfully find a new home and live stable lives, such as a three year vetting process and needing to adapt to a completely new culture.
Before refugees can move to a permanent home in the United States, the UNHCR must register them as potential resettlers, according to statements from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an organization which assists refugees as they resettle. Organizations like the IRC, in cooperation with the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (an extension of the State Department) assist registered refugee families with organizing the necessary personal information to present to the Department of Homeland Security as an application for resettlement. Afterwards, the US hand-selects them.
According to an IRC press release, before refugees can resettle in the United States, up to 15 government agencies run intense security screenings that usually last about three years. Some of the government agencies involved include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Biographic and biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic document testing, and in person interviews are all part of the vetting process, in order to ensure that the refugees who are resettling will be safe, law abiding residents when they move to their new home. Refugees must complete this process while living in very poor conditions in refugee camps, with minimal access to food, water, and healthcare. Even small discrepancies in a refugee’s story can invalidate their resettlement application, according to an IRC press release. Notably, this vetting process has been in place for many years, and was not enacted by the current presidential administration.
Before refugees leave the country they temporarily live in, they must take a class on American culture, US laws, health benefits and other crucial information. Refugees who eventually pass all of the necessary security checks and classes can finally resettle in the US. Organizations such as HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), and the IRC report that they greet refugees at the airport and ensure that they have a place to stay until they can be self-sufficient.
But many challenges remain. Families must learn English, as many have no prior English knowledge. Also, parents must find jobs and children must attend school, all while unfamiliar with laws, culture, customs and predominant language of the United States. Additionally, refugees have endured immense trauma, hardship, and violence. Refugees must find ways to deal with this trauma in the United States while working from the ground up to build a new life for themselves, according to a report from HIAS. Statements from HIAS, the IRC, and LIRS indicate that refugee organizations assist refugees in finding jobs, English classes, and in some cases therapists, but ultimately the process is overwhelming and very stressful.
As classmates, colleagues, and members of the community, each of us can help alleviate the many stresses refugees face when they arrive through acts of kindness and generosity. Be patient with those who are not yet fluent in English or accustomed to US culture and laws. Invite a newly resettled neighbor to your home or a community gathering and offer to help introduce them to other members in your community. Refugees work hard and try to build success just like native-born US citizens. We can build a stronger society if we uphold and support resettled refugees as they acclimate to their new home. Also, you can donate to any refugee aid organizations listed below.
Editor's Note: This article focused on how refugees resettle in the United States, because at the time of publication, all of our readers resides in the US. However, there are other countries that accept resettling refugees as well, and each has slight differences in their respective resettlement processes.