Syria’s conflict has uprooted half the country’s population, including many women. In Lebanon, about one-third of 240,000 Syrian refugee households are headed by women whose husbands — traditionally the providers and protectors — are dead, missing or chose to stay behind.
Refugees from Syria and other Mideast nations have been penned in a camp nicknamed The Jungle for months hoping to move on to the UK, where they feel fitting in may be easier than in France. Facing pressure to resolve the crisis, French authorities now say the refugees must either meld into French communities or return to their native country. Neither choice appeals to most of them. As a democratic nation, France must ensure the refugees’ rights are not abused. For more details please see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.
