Research Newsletter, #9 (Apr. 2016)

Syrians Back to Home

Our team has the same position from the beginning of the Syria Crises: “The solution for the Syria crises is again within Syria, but nowhere else.”

As of today, at least half of the Syrian population displaced. They mainly live in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and EU countries. However, this situation is not sustainable. How long more, these people can live in camps or at host communities without having a proper access to basic health services, education and a reliable income? Soon or later, more socio-economic problems will occur. Such as, there are millions of Syrian or Iraqi youth, do not have any education, skills and in-come. Thousands of Syrian refugees are collecting rubbish in Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq etc. to survive. They work at very unhealthy places and take many risks. Syrian girls are forces to get married with rich and old man. Most of the time they had to accept to be the second or third wife at age of 15 or even earlier. They do not know what to do with themselves. These hopeless youth are vulnerable and ideal targets for organized crime and terrorist groups.

Therefore, it is very urgent and crucial that EU, UN, World Bank and developed countries should immediately construct cities, life places, and infrastructure in secure parts of Syria and call Syrians back to their countries. This has to happen before end of this summer; otherwise, children will miss another school year.

Instead of spending billions of dollars, international community needed to develop a financial assistance system for Syrian to build up their life in their own country. In addition to this, World-leading countries should stop behaving with multiple standards. Otherwise, we will have to face with long-term warms, conflicts, chaos and terrorism. We all need to know that no one will be safe if there is no equality between human beings.

According to the surveys among the Syrian Refugees living in different countries, considerable amount of them want to go back their homeland. UN has to hear this voice and needs to make needed steps.

We have learned many lessons from Afghanistan crises. Therefore, we know what we need to do. But the only problem is to listen the experienced ones rather than trying to find the way with trials. The needed steps are clear and can be summarized as below:

I-Urgently several trust funds should be created:

• Re-settlement Trust Fund: This fund needed to be created now and should aim to create new settlement within Syria for Syrians. The purpose is to call back the Syrian to their homeland. Not a huge budget is needed for this, several billions of US$ might enough to start.
• This Trust fund should be led by UNDP.
• Education Trust Fund: UNICEF should urgently call the member states to create a trust fund to build new schools, repair the damaged ones, and provide salaries for teachers, school materials for children and in safe settlements identified by UNDP.
• Health Trust Fund: A health trust fund needed to be established urgently under the leadership of WHO to provide basic health services for Syrians in Syria.
• Development Trust Fund: This trust fund should aim to provide vocational training for Syrian youth, credits to set up business in Syria and industrial development under the leadership of the World Bank. This is the only way to provide sustainable income for Syrians based in Syria.
• Cultural Protection Trust Fund: Syria hosts important cultural heritage places. However, terrorist groups damaged most of them. In addition to this, cultural life should be re-activated in Syria, such as theaters, cinemas, paintings etc. Therefore, a cultural trust fund needed to be created by UNESCO to save the culture of Syria.
• Law Enforcement Trust Fund: Five years of conflict damaged most of the Government infrastructure and services in the country. In addition to this, our past experience shows that organized crime rapidly establishes its networks in post conflict countries. Therefore, it is essential to establish law enforcement capacity as well. For that purpose, a specific trust funded suggested to be established under the control of UNDP.

Overall, future of Syria and Syrians will be in Syria. Therefore, it is time to re-build the Government of Syria for the Syrians.