Tag: conflict

There are promises and promises, but we get nothing, Fatima, a refugee from Syria, told one of my colleagues in Lebanon last week. Her counterparts in Jordan where I was visiting tell a very similar story. They call for more aid for those who have fled Syria of course – but also for something to be done for the millions left behind in their country’s vicious conflict.

Friday 15 March was the two year anniversary since the start of the current crisis in Syria. Over one million people have fled the country so far, and more than 70,000 have been killed.

To mark this anniversary, candlelit vigils took place around the globe in solidarity with the Syrian people. Oxfam supported vigils across the Middle East. Hundreds of people gathered in cities around the Arab world to light candles and shine a spotlight on the continued suffering of Syria’s people.

It has been ten years since the Darfur conflict erupted and millions fled their homes in the countryside for the safety of towns and camps. If you do not live in Sudan, it is understandable if you think the problem resolved itself long ago. But if you could come with me to Darfur, the land where I grew up, you would quickly see that it has not.