No End in Sight: Syria’s Refugees and Regional Repercussions

As we approach the third anniversary of the start of the Syrian civil war, there is no end in sight for the massive humanitarian crisis engulfing that country – and the region. More than 3 million Syrian refugees have fled into neighboring countries, with over 6 million more displaced inside Syria. Many refugees have left loved ones behind and abandoned what’s left of their homes without knowing when – or whether – they will be able to return. But the refugee crisis is also a crisis for the governments of Syria’s neighbors. The presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey has had a profound impact on their natural resources, political dynamics, economies, social structures and traditions of hospitality.  

On February 21, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement and Mercy Corps hosted a discussion to analyze the impact of Syrian refugees on countries in the region, and discussed the way forward in this crisis. Speakers included Ambassador Antoine Chedid of Lebanon; Kelly Clements of the U.S. Department of State; Ambassador Lukman Faily of Iraq; Brookings Senior Fellow Kemal Kirişci, director of the Turkey Project; and Dina Sabbagh of Mercy Corps Jordan. Brookings Fellow Megan Bradley provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.

Get a recap of the event and a new video of a discussion between the Iraqi ambassador and Megan Bradley here.