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Two years on, where are the Syrians now?

Published March 14th, 2013 - 03:13 GMT

Two years ago, a group of children scrawled anti-government messages onto a wall in Syria's southern province of Dara'a.

This act of youthful rebellion landed the youngsters in jail. Their continued incarceration and a palpable sense of revolution in the Arab air led a few hundred local people onto the streets to protest. The crowd swelled and soon numbered thousands. Syrian security forces attempted to quell the protest with force, opening fire and killing four people.

The peaceful protests that followed were met with violence, escalating into a civil war that is now threatening to engulf the region. Refugees began spilling over the borders into neighbouring safe havens Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. Record numbers of Syrians are fleeing their homeland, with around 8,000 leaving every day.

Last week, the number of registered refugees passed the million mark. It now stands at over 1,100,000. Half of those that have fled are children and UNICEF has issued a stark warning about a 'lost generation' of Syrian youth. 

61 per cent of refugees are living in urban settings but hundreds of thousands are living in camps, with 150,000 in Jordan's Za'atari camp alone.

Here, we explore the human cost of the Syrian conflict, looking at those displaced across the region. 

Tell us what you think. Why aren't neighbouring countires getting more support? So you see any end in sight for the conflict? Let us know and join in the conversation 

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Syrian girl sits in an Amann apartment (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

Many of the Syrian refugees in Jordan haven’t registered in a camp at all and would rather take their chances in the big city. But without any support from NGOs and minimal assistance from the Jordanian government, they face a tough future. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

Women at a makeshift camp in Lebanon

Although there are no official camps in neighboring Lebanon, Syrians have poured in in their thousands. An estimated 1 million are now living there with more than 350,000 on the waiting list. While the wealthy head to Beirut, less fortunate Syrians are stuck living in fields close to the highly unstable border.

Angelina Jolie visits a refugee camp in Jordan

Hollywood’s favorite do-gooder, Angelina Jolie, pitched up in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp back in September. The UN special envoy returned in December, having dug deep for a $50,000 donation for the purchase of family tents.

Prince Charles meets refugees at a camp

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall came face to face with the human cost of the Syrian conflict when they visited Jordan’s King Abdullah Park camp, which is home to just under a 1,000 people. Prince Charles described the refugees’ plight as “heartbreaking”.

Protests at a refugee camp

Since Zaatari refugee camp opened, there have been frequent protests against President Bashar Al Assad’s regime. UN staff have been evacuated a number of times after the semi-regular demonstrations turned violent.

Syrian refugee with guitar (Photo UNHCR/ B Sokol)

Despite fleeing for his life from his home in Damascus to the Domiz refugee camp in Northern Iraq, Omar, 37, made sure to bring his most precious possession with him: his lute. He joined over 100,000 other refugees willing to risk unstable Iraq to escape the horrors of Syria. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

doctor works in camp (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

Hassan, a refugee doctor who previously cared for Iraqi refugees when they arrived in Syria, now works with medical NGO, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), looking after his fellow countrymen as they arrive in Iraq. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

perfume shop refugee camp (UNHCR/ G. Beals)

With so many Syrians now in Zaatari in Jordan, the camp has transformed from a few tents to a thriving mini-city in the middle of the desert. Shops have sprung up around the main paths and refugees have elected local “governors” to control their section of the camp. (Photo UNHCR/ G. Beals)

old woman refugee (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

The amount of indiscriminate shelling in Syria has meant everyone from newborns to the very old have had to flee. Salma (not her real name) is over 100 but had to walk through the border to neighboring Iraq. She came with her family of all ages all desperate to escape the bombs. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

children school refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

With no end to the fighting in sight, Syrians have been preparing for a life permanently outside their homeland. In Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey, education programs have been set up and Syrian university students have been applying to continue their studies far away from Damascus or Homs. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

baby refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

For the less academically minded refugees, a vocational course can be a life-saver when trying to get employment abroad. This mother is taking sewing classes in the Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey hoping to help out the usual bread winners of the family. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

Syrian girl sits in an Amann apartment (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
Women at a makeshift camp in Lebanon
Angelina Jolie visits a refugee camp in Jordan
Prince Charles meets refugees at a camp
Protests at a refugee camp
Syrian refugee with guitar (Photo UNHCR/ B Sokol)
doctor works in camp (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
perfume shop refugee camp (UNHCR/ G. Beals)
old woman refugee (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
children school refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
baby refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
Syrian girl sits in an Amann apartment (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
Many of the Syrian refugees in Jordan haven’t registered in a camp at all and would rather take their chances in the big city. But without any support from NGOs and minimal assistance from the Jordanian government, they face a tough future. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
Women at a makeshift camp in Lebanon
Although there are no official camps in neighboring Lebanon, Syrians have poured in in their thousands. An estimated 1 million are now living there with more than 350,000 on the waiting list. While the wealthy head to Beirut, less fortunate Syrians are stuck living in fields close to the highly unstable border.
Angelina Jolie visits a refugee camp in Jordan
Hollywood’s favorite do-gooder, Angelina Jolie, pitched up in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp back in September. The UN special envoy returned in December, having dug deep for a $50,000 donation for the purchase of family tents.
Prince Charles meets refugees at a camp
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall came face to face with the human cost of the Syrian conflict when they visited Jordan’s King Abdullah Park camp, which is home to just under a 1,000 people. Prince Charles described the refugees’ plight as “heartbreaking”.
Protests at a refugee camp
Since Zaatari refugee camp opened, there have been frequent protests against President Bashar Al Assad’s regime. UN staff have been evacuated a number of times after the semi-regular demonstrations turned violent.
Syrian refugee with guitar (Photo UNHCR/ B Sokol)
Despite fleeing for his life from his home in Damascus to the Domiz refugee camp in Northern Iraq, Omar, 37, made sure to bring his most precious possession with him: his lute. He joined over 100,000 other refugees willing to risk unstable Iraq to escape the horrors of Syria. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
doctor works in camp (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
Hassan, a refugee doctor who previously cared for Iraqi refugees when they arrived in Syria, now works with medical NGO, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), looking after his fellow countrymen as they arrive in Iraq. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
perfume shop refugee camp (UNHCR/ G. Beals)
With so many Syrians now in Zaatari in Jordan, the camp has transformed from a few tents to a thriving mini-city in the middle of the desert. Shops have sprung up around the main paths and refugees have elected local “governors” to control their section of the camp. (Photo UNHCR/ G. Beals)
old woman refugee (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
The amount of indiscriminate shelling in Syria has meant everyone from newborns to the very old have had to flee. Salma (not her real name) is over 100 but had to walk through the border to neighboring Iraq. She came with her family of all ages all desperate to escape the bombs. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
children school refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
With no end to the fighting in sight, Syrians have been preparing for a life permanently outside their homeland. In Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey, education programs have been set up and Syrian university students have been applying to continue their studies far away from Damascus or Homs. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
baby refugee camp (UNHCR/ B. Sokol)
For the less academically minded refugees, a vocational course can be a life-saver when trying to get employment abroad. This mother is taking sewing classes in the Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey hoping to help out the usual bread winners of the family. (Photo UNHCR/ B. Sokol)

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