In March of 2011, violence broke out in Syria, and since then, the country has been involved in a vicious civil war. The civil war is a series of clashes between President Bashar al-Assad’s government, and the rebels who want to overthrow him.

There is a stalemate between the two fighting sides, which means they are unable to defeat each other. As a consequence, the violence continues.
In addition to fighting against each other, the government and rebel groups also have to fight against the terrorist group ISIS who are trying to invade Syria.

Since 2014, Syria has been divided among ISIS, the President’s government, rebel forces, and the Kurds (an ethnic minority that has been striving for independence since World War I).

Caught in the middle of this violence are the Syrian people. Due to all the chaos in the country, they have been forced to flee and become refugees elsewhere. According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than four million people have left Syria in search of safety in neighboring countries.

These Syrian refugees have been arriving in large numbers to many European countries, having to travel through dangerous paths on land and sea, many of them losing their lives.

According to Al Jazeera News, Nearly 2 million of the refugees have been taken in by Turkey, 1.2 million by Lebanon, 630,000 by Jordan, 130,000 by Egypt, and even some in Iraq.

Germany expects to welcome 800,000 Syrian refugees this year alone. Italy and Greece are overwhelmed with the amount of refugees that they have received, nearly 250,000 between the two countries.

Not all countries have been welcoming in this process. Hungary recently built a large razor-wire fence along its South border with Serbia. In addition, Hungary has also stopped trains going to Germany from its stations to prevent refugees who are just trying to use Hungary as way to get to Germany. Also, Croatia recently closed their borders after allowing refugees to cross through.

Some of the wealthier nations near the Persian Gulf have been less welcoming to their neighbors, despite economic and political interest in Syria. Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates don’t have any Syrian refugees living within their borders.

During this process, supplies are limited and money is tight. The UN has been keeping track of all of the money that has been donated to the cause. According to CNN News, The US has provided more than $574 million to the fund, leading the world in the donations to the relief efforts. Although Kuwait has not taken in any refugees, they have donated $166 million to the fund, the 3rd largest donor.