Where are they coming from?
Syria
Half of those crossing the Mediterranean in 2015 were Syrians fleeing the civil war in their native country. After pro-democracy protesters were killed by their government, hundreds of thousands of people began to show their frustration on the streets in 2011, leading to a civil war. Four and a half years later 250,000 thousand people have died in the conflict. People are being tortured, raped, and murdered by their own government and other groups such as ISIS, an extremist group who is using the current chaos as an opportunity to take control over large portions of Syria. Those who reject the IS are subject to many cruelties including public executions and amputations. Cities are having food, water, and health services blocked from entering their area, causing many innocent people to suffer. Damascus the capital of Syria, with a population of 1,711,000 people, was hit by Syrian President Bashar al Assad's arsenal of chemical weapons in August of 2013 resulting in hundreds of deaths. Over 4.5 million people have fled since the start of the conflict, attempting to escape from these tragedies and to a better life. In addition to that there is a huge humanitarian crisis. Here are some stats:
- 1.2 million Syrians were driven from their homes in 2015 alone
- 3.2 billion dollars is the estimated cost to help the 13.5 million people who need aid in Syria
- 70% of the population doesn't have access to adequate drinking water
- 4 out of 5 people live in poverty
- 1 in 3 are unable to receive their basic food needs
- 2 million children don't attend school
Afghanistan
The Afghan people, like the Syrians, are facing poverty, war, and malnutrition. There are 3.7 million Afghan refugees worldwide and one in three Afghan children are malnourished. Less than 15% of the population have access to health care and the unemployment rate is 40%. Also the Taliban are spreading terror throughout Afghanistan, after killing over 5,000 civilians in 2015 through bombings and other attacks.