The Syrian civil war and the consequent refugee crisis is the gravest matter currently facing the international community. The displacement of some five million people is destabilising the region and causing deepening political tensions in Europe. King Abdullah of Jordan, whose country has taken in more than 1.2 million Syrians, appealed this week for the rest of the world to use the donor summit in London today to step up its financial assistance. “Sooner or later, the dam is going to burst,” he told the BBC.
The king is right to be concerned. Three previous donor conferences have not delivered on their pledges. The UN is seeking £5.4 billion to cover humanitarian operations in Syria and neighbouring countries this year. However, less than half of its 2015 appeal was funded. This is much more than just a problem for Jordan, the Lebanon or Turkey, which have absorbed the vast majority of refugees. The pressures are now so great in the camps and on the host countries that a mass movement of people into Europe is likely, dwarfing the one million who arrived last year.
The British government’s position has been the right one – to encourage Syrians who have fled their ravaged homeland to stay as close as possible in order to return when they can. This means ensuring that the refugee camps are well maintained and provide schooling for children and occupation for the adults. But that requires money; and there is little point countries promising funds and then failing to stump up. The long-term costs of allowing this crisis to worsen will be far greater than anything that is spent now. Above all, the conference needs to spur on the search for a resolution of the Syrian war.