Refugees at the port of Catania. Demotix/Salvatore Allegra. All rights reserved.In the past week Europe has experienced the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, with thousands of refugees pouring in from Syria and North Africa, fleeing war, poverty, and political oppression. All eyes have been on the crisis, and photographs and videos of Syrians walking towards Germany, Hungary’s wire fences and packed train stations, and helpful Europeans greeting refugees have been clicked and shared on social media across the world.
However as these images and stories grow, we have to remember what this ‘crisis’ is: it is not a European crisis. It is a crisis for those fleeing. If we focus all our attention on Europe’ reception of refugees, then we are forgetting the biggest disasters coming out of this moment.
The war is still raging
The war in Syria is still raging and politicians hold very few answers about what to do about it. Since 2011, a quarter million Syrians have died, and 11 million have had to leave their home out of fear of death. Outside nations have done little to stop this humanitarian disaster. As Lina Khatib said in a recent New York Times article on the crisis, “Had European countries sought serious solutions to political conflicts like the one in Syria, and dedicated enough time and resources to humanitarian assistance abroad, Europe would not be in this position today.”
