WAR has turned an estimated four million of Syria’s people into refugees – almost the population of Queensland.
Another 7.6 million Syrians have been internally displaced within the country, bringing the total number forced to flee their homes to more than 11 million – half the country’s pre-crisis population.
The Caritas network, which includes Caritas Australia, the Catholic Church’s international aid and development agency, has contributed nearly $100 million in humanitarian response programs to the ongoing crisis.
Caritas Australia chief executive officer Paul O’Callaghan said the rapid influx of refugees had placed an extraordinary burden on the resources of host communities in countries like Lebanon and Jordan.
“In fact, Lebanon has been one of the most generous countries – it is now estimated that nearly a third of their population are Syrian refugees,” he said.
“We’re seeing parents reducing the number of meals eaten each day so young children can eat and families using up to 50 per cent of their available money on food.”
Caritas Syria president Bishop Antoine Audo said half of Syria’s inhabitants were either displaced or were refugees.
“Eighty per cent of the workforce doesn’t work,” he said.
“The rich have left, the middle class has become poor and the poor have become destitute.”
