Forum:General Assembly 1 (Disarmament Council)

Middle School Model United Nations Qatar 2016| 6th of May 2016

Issue:The protection of Syrian refugees

Student Officer:Gabrielle Anderson

Position:Deputy Chair of GA1

Introduction

One of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century is the Syrian civil war. Approximately half of the Syrian population, 11million people in 2011, have either been killed or exiled. There are nearly 4million Syrian refugees in five host countries: Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Many million more are searching for safety in Europe. Thousands of Syrians flee their countries everyday due to the mass destruction of their homes or losing loved ones. The United Nations (UN) predicts there could be 4.7million Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.

Every day, an increasing number of refugees stream into neighboring host countries,overwhelming local communities, stretchingalready limited resources and creating new cultural tensions. For those who attempt the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Greece, usually organized by people smugglers in boats which are not sea worthy, the problems are even more challenging, if not downright life threatening.

Although neighboring host nations, as well as the majority of European countries, have provided accommodation, food, clothing and basic healthcare, their efforts are not adequate. Most refugees have to cope with overcrowded conditions where they are forced to share living quarters, bathrooms and kitchens, which in turn leads to unsanitary conditions and the spread of various diseases. Cramped conditions give families little or no privacy; consequently, tensions run high and conflict ensues. Another increasingly worrying trend is the sexual abuse of unaccompanied women and children in the European refugee centers.

Definition of Key Terms

Refugees

According to the Geneva Convention, a refugee is a person that has left their country because of fear of persecution, war or a natural disaster. In order to be classified as a refugee the United Nations or a third party country need to grant you this status.

Protection

Preventing someone from suffering harm or injury.

Civil War

A war between citizens of the same country.

Democracy

A system of government whereby eligible members elect representatives and have a say in the running of the country.

Background Information

President Bashar al-Assad, the leader of Syria’s government,was faced with a revolution in March 2011 when pro-democracy protesters demanded change. Spurred on by the Arab Spring Uprisings which started in Tunisia, many Syrians wanted to put an end to the dictatorial practices of the Assad regime which had been in place since Assad’s father, Ḥafiz al-Assad, took over the presidency in 1971. Amateur footage and eyewitness accounts showed the Syrian security forces beating and killing protesters - proof that the Syrian government used police, military, and paramilitary forces to brutally subdue demonstrations, which were initially peaceful.

As the conflict raged on, many soldiers defected and launched counter-attacks on the government, bringing Syriatothe verge of civil war in December. The Syrian National Council, an opposition government, was created in exile; however, the opposition consists of various groups of different ethnicity, religion and ideology, which causes serious conflict among the members, as well as lack of unity and purpose.

Every year of the conflict has seen a dramatic growth in refugees. In 2012, there were 100,000 refugees. By April 2013, there were 800,000. That doubled to 1.6 million in less than four months. With the Syrian crisis is in its fifth year, more than 7,5 million people have been displaced, according to UNHRC. The U.N. predicts there could be 4.7 million registered Syrian refugees by the end of 2016 — the worst in 20 years.

The majority of Syrian refugees have sought safety and shelter in Jordan and Lebanon. However, these are two of the region’s smallest countries, and their weak infrastructure and limited resources are nearing a breaking point under the strain. Many refugees live in tents in refugee camps, with very limited access to running water, electricity, fresh food and medical facilities. Schools are also in short supply, and struggle to educate the increasing numbers of immigrants.

In August 2013, more Syrians escaped into northern Iraq at a newly opened border crossing. Now they find themselves trapped by that country's own escalating conflict, and Iraq is struggling to meet the needs of Syrian refugees in addition to looking after more than one million of its own internally displaced population.

An increasing number of Syrian refugees are now fleeing across the border into Turkey, overwhelming host communities and creating cultural tensions. Many Syrians attempt to find jobs, but this is made difficult because of the language barrier, and they are often paid much lower wages.

Millions of refugees have also made the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Greece, earning huge profits for people smugglers, hoping to find a better future in Europe. Thousands, especially children, have drowned attempting the journey. Those who do make it to Greece still face steep challenges — resources are minimal and most European countries are ill-equipped to house refugees while they wait for their asylum applications to be processed. Media reports that crime has escalated dramatically since the arrival of immigrants has fuelled native Europeans’ fury. Initially almost every nation welcomed the refugees with open arms but resistance to the sheer numbers invading the continent has grown steadily.

According to the UN:
- Women and children make up 3/4 of the refugee population
- By the end of 2016, over 50% of the Syrian population will be in need of aid
- Refugees have little more than the clothes on their backs when arriving at refugee camps
-7.6 million internally displaced within Syria as of February 2016
-An estimated 16 million people are in need of assistance as of February 2016

Quick statistics about the Syrian refugee crisis: September 2015

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

Syria

A country in Western Asia bordered by Lebanon, the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel. The center of the conflict. In 2014,Assad was re-elected, claiming that only Syrians have the right to say how long he should be in power. Assad has refused to using barrel bombs against civilians or using the banned chemical weapons that killed 1,400 people in August 2013. The government of Syria currently controls less than 25% of the country.

Russia

Syria’s long-time main ally. Its president, Vladimir Putin, has consistently supported Bashar al-Assad and blocked all efforts for stronger Security Council action.Putin has helped Assad by increasing military support and has hinted that he may do more. Putin also supports Assad and defends him against other countries.

Turkey

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, suggested that Assad could play a role in a political transition. But he also said that it isn’t possible for Syrians to “accept a dictator who has led to the deaths of up to 350,000 people”. Erdoğan has insisted that Assad must surrender power.

Migrant Offshore Aid Station

This charity exists to make sure that all the migrants lost in the Mediterranean Sea are rescued by supplying boats to patrol that specific area. They also exist to save children.

Hand in Hand for Syria

This organization directly provides aid on the ground in Syria, including food, clothing, water, sanitationand medical assistance to “help people to stay in Syria instead of fleeing to another country.”

Timeline of Events

Date / Description of event
15 March 2011 / After 40 years ofharsh rule by the Assad family, hundreds of staged protests in Damascus and Aleppo, calling for democratic reforms, demanding for better civil liberties and freedom for political prisoners.
18 March 2011 / Militant forces open fire on a protest in Daraa, killing four people. Activists
saythis was the first deaths of the uprising. Demonstrations of people were spread throughput Syria, as did the suppression by Assad's forces.
June 2011 / Law officers as well as soldiers in Jisr al-Shu hour in northeastern Syria join protesters they were ordered to shoot, the protesters claim the city for themselves. However, elite government troops, tanks and helicopters take back the town within days.
March 2013 / The number of UN-registered Syrian refugees tops 1 million And half of these refugees are children.
August 21, 2013 / The Syrian government is accused of killing more than 1,400 people near Damascus, according to the United States, using chemical weapons in two rebel-held zones.
October 2013 / Equipment used for the production of chemical weapons is destroyed by Syria. 2 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN.

Relevant UN Treaties and Events

Security Council Resolution, 14 April 2012(S/RES/2042)
Security Council Resolution, 22 February 2014 (S/RES/2139)
Security Council Resolution, 22 December 2015 (S/RES/2258)

Previous Attempts to solve the Issue

In February 2012, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution condemning President Assad’s violent crackdown on the uprising, but China and Russia, Syria’s traditional ally, opposed all efforts for stronger Security Council action.
Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, has sad that Germany will welcome all Syrian refugees. She has also strongly urged all EU (European Union) member states to take in a certain number of refugees.

Possible Solutions

Middle Eastern countries, for example Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE should contribute to solving the crisis by accepting their share of refugees, who at least share the same language and religion. The UN should not allow some countries to refuse to welcome asylum seekers, while others are overburdened by this humanitarian crisis.

The European Union should take a firm stand with its member states and agree on strategies to best serve the refugees.

All countries shouldwork together to investigate andprosecute trafficking gangs who exploit refugees by charging them huge sums to put them in boats which are often not even sea-worthy. Survivors have claimed that traffickers killed people on board boats when their families couldn’t pay ransoms. Others were thrown overboard and left to drown, or died because there was a lack of food and water.

Wealthy countries must keep their promises to donate funds for refugees. For example, the UN has received less than half the funding it needs to support Syria’s 4 million refugees. This is now forcing 80% of refugees living outside camps in Jordan to do dangerous, degrading jobs or send their children out to beg.

You may list the possible solutions and explanations in the same form that the body of the report is to be written. The beginning of each paragraph must be indented. It is strongly recommended that you include strong and viable possible solutions because this is what will induce good ideas and resolutions from delegates. Don’t be afraid to be original or creative in listing and explaining these possible solutions.

Bibliography

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Appendix or Appendices

(NGOs that help Syrian refugees)

This website is useful because it can help people write better resolutions with more information and a better grasp on how many people are helping the Syrian refugees.

(European nations react by setting up charities to help the refugees)

This website will help the writer of resolutions to understand which countries will be on their side to help the refugees and also tells them who the best countries to work with are.

(Greek coast guards see people drowning off the coast of Greece)

this can help raise awareness to how much the coast guards of Greece do on a daily baisis and maybe help delegates to come up with a solution to help assist in this area.

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