A short guide to the Middle East

Challenging times in Syria and the sub-region as the US lobbies to shore up multilateral support for military action against Syria.  So far the US has only confirmed support from France, and the standoff continues between the major powers on what, if any action should be taken in response to the suspected use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against its own people.  

There are no good scenarios for Syria, and any intervention by foreign powers has the potential to escalate into a broader conflict, particularly impacting neighbouring countries of Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel. 

Any foreign military intervention would also be likely to trigger a further mass movement of refugees into neighbouring countries.  It is forecast that by the end of this year, the number of refugees in neighbouring countries (including Cyprus) could exceed 3 million people.   

World Vision has a large number of staff and emergency programs active in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria itself, so we continue to monitor developments closely.  There is a fine line to walk between ensuring effective positioning for ongoing response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, and also managing any increased risks to staff and programming if any significant escalation in the conflict should occur.

A few more boats in the Mediterranean!

Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan