- Conflict, warfare and displacement – Due to protracted violence, more than half of the Syrian population has fled their normal place of residence. Of these, the majority (6.5 million people) are internally displaced whilst approximately 4.8 million are dispersed throughout the neighboring countries of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey (as of April 2016, CIA World Fact Book, 2016).
- Food security – At the household level, displacement has obliged a disruption or loss of livelihood for a growing number of income earners. Exacerbated by perpetuating food and fuel prices, numbers scaling in the millions have no choice but to rely on limited humanitarian assistance for each meal they consume. More broadly, gunfire and explosions have diminished agricultural output to a fraction of what it once was as former farms have simply been abandoned, and remaining farms lack the necessary infrastructure and man power to stay operational (WFP, 2016).
- Trafficking in Persons
Human traffickers have taken advantage of vulnerability brought about by social upheaval and lack of law enforcement. Syria is both an origin and destination country for victims of trafficking who are forcibly exploited as soldiers, human shields, executioners, prostitutes, forced brides and domestic servants.
Sources:
CIA WorldFact Book - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html
UNDP - http://www.sy.undp.org/content/syria/en/home/countryinfo/
WFP – https://www.wfp.org/countries/syria
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations - http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Syria.aspx
Country Reports - http://www.countryreports.org/country/Syria.htm