The Syrian civil war has become a war of numbers when discussing those affected by the Syrian civil wars. On Friday, the United Nations proposed $5.2 billion in relief money to those caught in the path of the destructive civil war.
The biggest aid appeal made by the U.N. will go to the people in Syria and to the countries hosting the refugees from Syria. Previously, the aid to meet the demands of taking care of refugees was roughly $3 billion by the global body, it dramatically increased to $5.2 billion.
The $5.2 billion will be spread in not just Syria, but Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, along with other countries throughout the region. $3.8 billion of the $5.2 billion will go to those countries in order to take care of the refugees or make up the financial and economic losses of taking in the Syrians who have fled.
But, the $5.2 billion will only go so far. The money will only cover the very basics of needs until the end of 2013.
Pre-war, the Syrian population was roughly 22 million. Of those 22 million, 94,000 civilians have died. More than 1.6 million refugees have fled the country, one million of those having fled in 2013 alone. A forecasted 6.8 million are in need of aid alone this year, with the number to near 10 million by the end of the year.
According to the U.N. appeal, it’s expected the number of Syrian refugees will reach 3.45 million by the end of 2013. Along with those fleeing the country, an estimated 4.25 million have been misplaced in the country due to the fighting.
Recently, the fighting in Syria has come close to its borders with other countries. Quasar, a rebel stronghold, was taken by the regime, along with fighting along the border between Syria and Lebanon and Syria and Israel. The regime has attacked the U.N. peacekeeper headquarters in Golan Heights, which separates Syria and Israel.
This proposal for aid comes right after Austria announces the withdrawal of their 380 peacekeepers after two were wounded during fights with the regime. With 380 out of 900 peacekeepers leaving, the force is depleted of men as other countries remain where they are and Russia offers to fill in the hole.
As the regime takes control of Quasar, part of the rebel’s supply line and the fight over Golan Heights, the ever growing fear is that the fighting will leave the country and spread into the region. While Syrian tanks cross the demilitarized zone, Israel moves their own tanks into their portion of Golan Heights.
Recently, 10 missiles were fired from Syria that landed in Baalbek, a Lebanese city. One was wounded, and property was damaged. Soon enough, the whole region can come under fire as the civil war stretches out of its country’s boundaries.
If the war continues to spread into other nations, the need to end the war will be taken seriously or at least the efforts to contain the fighting will occur. But with the war entering surrounding countries, the refugees and the country’s own civilians will have to flee.
