Sexual violence against women in Syria ‘behind refugee crisis’

A Syrian refugee girl at the al-Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, on the Jordanian-Syrian border (Picture: Reuters)  

Horrific levels of sexual violence against girls and women in Syria are the driving force behind a mass exodus of civilians during the civil war, a major report from the International Rescue Committee has said.

The IRC’s Commission on Syrian Refugees said rape was a ‘significant and disturbing feature of the Syrian civil war.

In its report, Syria: A Regional Crisis, the commission says three IRC assessments in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan saw sexual violence identified as the main reason people had left with their families.

Women and girls are routinely attacked in public or in their homes, mainly by armed men, with attacks by multiple perpetrators taking place in front of family members.

The IRC added that it had received multiple reports of girls and women being kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed in Syria.

The report warns that Syria and the surrounding region face a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and a ‘human displacement tragedy’.

‘Current assistance levels are drastically insufficient to address existing needs, let alone the barest requirements to respond to a lengthy humanitarian emergency and post-conflict recovery,’ the report says.

Syrian army troops during clashes with rebels in Aleppo (Picture: Reuters)

More than 600,000 Syrians have so far fled to neighbouring countries, with people fleeing at a rate of 3,000 per day, while two million civilians remain displaced internally.

The report says those who stay behind are struggling to survive; beset by violence, chaos and destruction, with food, water and electricity supplies dwindling and sanitation systems broken down.

Disease is rampant and medical care scarce, the report goes on to warn, quoting doctors as saying ‘a systematic campaign to restrict access to life-saving health care through the strategic bombing and forced closure of hospitals and health care facilities’ was taking place, as well as the ‘intimidation, torture and the targeted killing of doctors and other medical staff in retribution for treating the wounded’.

‘An end to the civil war will not necessarily end sectarian violence immediately; indeed the violence could well increase,’ the report concludes.

‘Recovery, reconciliation and political transition are processes that will be fraught with challenges and could take many years.’

Its authors recommend increased levels of aid, that borders be kept open and more programmes that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.