Syria: Children in Crisis

A Qualitative Assessment of the Syrian Refugee Experience Among Children & Youth

Children in Crisis

Table of contentsPreface

Goal of the Study

Key Findings

Emotional & Psychosocial Needs

Physical & Basic Needs

Religion & Worldview

Leveraging Assets

A Collaborative Response

Appendix

3

5

7

8

13

15

17

19

20

Cover photo: Syrian refugees in Atmeh ©iStock.com | Joel Carillet

3 Children in Crisis

The Syrian Crisis is considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis since the Cold War.1

Over the last two years, approximately 2 million Syrians have been uprooted from their country and forced to flee to neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. With a mass exodus of approximately 6,000 Syrians fleeing the country every day,2 neighboring countries face an unprecedented challenge of responding to this crisis.

The consistent spillover has drawn global attention not just to the humanitarian crisis facing both local communities and national governments, but also to the economic and social strains particularly in the country of Lebanon.

By 2014, it is estimated that the Syrian conflict will double the unemployment rate in Lebanon to above 20%, push approximately 170,000 Lebanese into poverty and demand an additional USD $5.1 billion to stabilize access to, and quality of, public services to their pre-Syrian conflict level.3 Although the future of the Syrian Crisis and its impact in the region appears grim—and not without valid reason—there are flickers of hope among the despair. Churches, organizations, businesses and other entities have come together from across the globe and within each neighboring country to meet the growing and complex needs of Syrian refugees.

PREFACEIntroduction to Crisis

approximately 6,000 Syrians

flee the country every day


Moreover, the Church community faces an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the physical and spiritual needs of a population desperate to hear and receive God’s love. Effective ministry begins with having a crystal clear understanding of reality and it is therefore imperative that the Church community in the Middle East not only becomes aware of the widespread needs of refugees and their families, but also gains a clearer understanding of how religion shapes the worldview and behaviors of the next generation.

The typical Lebanese Christian or children’s worker is ill-prepared to address the deep-rooted needs of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have been uprooted from their homeland. And since more than 50% of the Syrian refugees are under the age of 18, focusing on the needs of children and youth is imperative.

more than 50% of Syrian refugees are under the age of 18


The goal of this study is to provide faith-based organizations—including churches, foundations and nonprofit organizations—and relief-based agencies with pertinent information on Syrian refugee children and families that will help these entities develop and implement effective programs to produce long-lasting impact.

Towards this end, OneHope and Near East Initiatives (NEI) have partnered on this research project to identify and explore issues and challenges facing refugees who fled from the war in Syria. The two major focuses of this study are to better understand the following:

This report highlights findings from the research conducted by OneHope and NEI and draws from studies published on the Syrian refugee crisis by major organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, World Vision, etc.

Under the guidance of OneHope and NEI, primary research was conducted in 4 regions throughout Lebanon during the fall of 2013.

Researchers interviewed 16 parents and more than 30 Syrian children and youth between 10 and 17 years of age. Focus group discussions were conducted with 48 Syrian children and youth. Additionally, 4 experts working directly with Syrian refugees were identified by NEI and interviewed for their unique perspective and insight on the

Goal of the Study

1. The role of religion or spirituality in the lives of children and youth in Syrian refugee communities.

2. The felt needs of Syrian refugees and their families.

Our Research:

Syrian parents + Syrian youth + field experts


topics covered by the study.

This report attempts to capture the Syrian refugee experience and provide faith-based organizations and non-governmental agencies with pertinent information on the Syrian refugee crisis to help foster innovative and lasting solutions to these complex challenges.

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Our study finds that the biggest challenges facing Syrian refugees are:

Attentive care and treatment of emotional and psychosocial needs that stem from trauma and recent life-altering experiences producing feelings of humiliation, despair, anxiety, loneliness, depression and hopelessness.

Provision of adequate and accessible physical and basic needs including education, finances, jobs, adequate housing and the like.

Both Christian and Muslim Syrian refugee children share similar religious worldviews.

Churches and consistent relief-based programs have a positive impact on Syrian refugee children and families and should be leveraged to increase the scope of impact.

It is our hope that Children in Crisis provides relevant information that will help the faith-based and nonprofit community in Lebanon and the Middle East to develop creative solutions to address the greatest underlying needs of Syrian refugee children and families. We also hope that this study will be a catalyst for advocacy for the most vulnerable and disenfranchised children and youth among the next generation.

Key Findings


Unprecedented ChallengesEmotional & Psychosocial NeedsAccording to secondary research conducted on the Syrian refugee crisis, it is obvious one of the most pressing challenges among Syrian refugee children and youth has to do with the trauma and life-altering events experienced within the past few months. In studies conducted in other refugee crises, children who have been through violent experiences often suffer from stress disorders that can have a significant impact on their development.

Psychosocial needs can be categorized into three levels according to the degree of trauma experienced and its manifestation in the individual. Depression and rage levels are high among children of war and symptoms such as detachment, aggression, bedwetting, nightmares and insomnia are all too common. Each symptom may range from discomforting to disabling, depending on the individual and experience.

Discomforting psychosocial needs can be mitigated through routine social interactions.

Disturbing psychosocial needs are moderate to severe needs that require some type of social intervention.

Disabling psychosocial needs are disabling to the individual in absence of extraordinary intervention.4

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Although our findings do not highlight bedwetting to be a prevalent experience among Syrian refugee children, detachment, aggression, nightmares and insomnia are all mentioned by participants.

Other research conducted on this topic has found these symptoms to be a widespread outcome of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and although the purpose of our study was not to diagnose, it is obvious that the majority of participants are experiencing the aftermath of traumatic and life-altering events.5

According to one study, more than 55% of youth assessed experience constant fear that something bad will happen and are unable to express their feelings about the conflict. Almost half (46%) feel disconnected from others and have trouble making friends, and more than two-thirds (70%) have trouble sleeping or wet the bed.6

Consistent with other studies, Children in Crisis points to several trauma-related emotional and psychosocial needs among Syrian refugee children. A very similar study conducted by World Vision in 2012 reported that Syrian refugee children deal with no sense of stability because of the uncertainty surrounding their social and physical environment and anxiety and exposure as a result of being separated from families, witnessing violence, and feeling pressure to go to work to support their families.7 According to a UNHCR report in which interviews were conducted with children in Jordan and Lebanon, the study showed that children suffer from flashbacks, sleeping troubles and some have become aggressive or hyperactive while others have grown more quiet or unusually reserved.8

Studies across the region highlight the need to address a variety of emotional and psychosocial challenges among Syrian refugee children. Our study affirms that need and provides a clear picture of how these challenges are manifested in the lives of Syrian refugee children and their families.


Trauma

Both parents and experts describe that children have witnessed horrible things in Syria and have been traumatized by those images and memories. Children share that they have nightmares and are scared of more bombings, even though they have escaped the war zone in Syria.Throughout the interviews, both parents and children describe their peers as being “traumatized from what they saw during the war.” Some of the children and youth have even witnessed parents’ or other family members’ deaths during the war.

The scope of traumatic experiences is far-reaching and the daily realities of these children will continue to haunt them unless adequate intervention and therapy is provided.

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Depression & Humiliation

Unfortunately, many refugees describe having much worse experiences in Lebanon than they had in Syria. This sentiment is largely due to financial difficulty, lack of education, humiliation from others and lack of hope.

Parents and children interviewed use the word “humiliation” many times to describe their feelings about living in Lebanon. One parent describes that, “In Syria [my children] used to have pride; now they walk with their head down.”

Child participants responded in similar ways when asked about how they have felt since moving to Lebanon. These responses include emotions such as “scared,” “sad,” “homesick,” “angry” and “depressed.” Even among participants who have met new people so far, many of their experiences have been negative. In the words of one child respondent: “Here we’re very humiliated by all the people.” Parents describe that because of the war and their sudden change of location, their children have become depressed and humiliated.

Discrimination & Lack of Friends

To exacerbate this feeling of humiliation, our study finds that Syrians often feel

“In Syria [my children] used to have pride; now they walk with their head down.”

- Samira, mother

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discriminated against by the Lebanese and therefore are having a difficult time assimilating to a new life in Lebanon. The Lebanese and Syrians have a long history of cultural and political conflict that adds to the mistrust and prejudice of the Lebanese toward the Syrians. This tension is experienced among both children and adults.

Most of the children and youth interviewed talk about missing their friends from Syria and not being able to meet new friends in Lebanon. Children and adults alike mention the difficulty of meeting new friends or being sociable because they have to leave their homes work long hours during the day. Furthermore, children report not talking to people about their feelings because they either have not met any new friends or because they “feel like a stranger.”

“Here we’re very humiliated by all the people.”

- Fatima, 12


Physical & Basic NeedsThe Syrian Crisis has been considered the largest humanitarian crisis since the Cold War and presents significant relief and development challenges throughout the region. According to a recent World Bank Report on the Syrian Crisis, Lebanon alone will have received 1.3 million Syrian refugees and will require approximately USD $5.1 billion for the stabilization of economic and social service provision.9

Major physical and social problems affecting Syrians include lack of adequate and accessible education, job creation, adequate and affordable housing, health care, safety and poor infrastructure.

Our study echoes these realities. According to Syrian refugee children and parents, finances, education, and children’s

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“I used to want to be a pilot; now I just want to finish school.”

- Abdullah, 16


jobs are considered to be the biggest challenges. Experts include education and add housing issues10 as a major challenge. As described above, many refugees report having much worse experiences in Lebanon than they ever had in Syria because of inadequate provision of basic needs including finances and lack of education. Moreover, they state that rent, clothes, food and other necessities are much more expensive in Lebanon than they were in Syria, so they are unable to afford many essentials for comfortable living. This financial challenge is so apparent that most of the children and youth who were interviewed also describe finances as a hardship of moving to Lebanon. Nearly every parent interviewed noted that finances are one of the biggest challenges they face in Lebanon.

Child labor is mentioned throughout our study referring to Syrian children who have to work to pay for their family’s rent. Most parents do not find jobs because employers will not hire older individuals when younger people are available for less money. Long work days prohibit children from meeting friends and in some cases praying. This unfortunate reality has brought about a loss of innocence for Syrian refugee children and must be addressed by providing adequate and accessible education to children and job creation for adults.

“The Lebanese take advantage of the fact that we are refugees and in need, so we have very long shifts at work.”

- Ahmad, father


Religion and WorldviewAccording to the CIA World Factbook, approximately 90% of the population in Syria is Muslim,11 and approximately 10% are Christian, including Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant or Evangelical. To our knowledge, no recent study has been conducted to accurately determine the religious makeup of Syrian refugees in Syria’s surrounding countries. However, it can be assumed that approximately three-quarters or more of the Syrian refugees are Muslim and approximately one quarter or less is Christian.12

This estimate is confirmed by one expert who describes the religious makeup of the Syrian refuges such that “one third are very religious Muslim people…one third doesn’t care much about religion… and one third have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.” Another expert comments, “a good number of [Syrian refugees] are moderate Muslims.” Despite the diversity among the main religious groups and differences within each, our findings suggest that Syrian refugee children share similar religious worldviews. Most participants who identify themselves as Muslim and Christian list similar ways in which to be good Muslims or Christians. For example, helping the poor, telling the truth, being honest, praying, fasting, reading the Bible/Qur’an and treating

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“There is no church in Syria.”

- Khadija , 13


others nicely are mentioned by both Christians and Muslims in all age groups. Both Christians and Muslims share a predominately works-based view of religion—being a “good Christian/Muslim” means doing certain things (e.g. helping the poor, being honest, etc.) Although theological beliefs between the two religions differ significantly, the physical manifestation and indications of each appear to be very similar.

One significant difference between the two groups is that Muslims report not having enough time to read the Qur’an or pray every day. Because Islam requires five daily prayers, many participants state that they have not had time to pray because of work and other obligations since coming to Lebanon. This is shown in the following response of a 13-year-old Muslim male: “I have no time to pray the five prayers or read the Qur’an so it doesn’t truly affect me.”

On the other hand, a Christian woman in Beirut shares, “every decision I make comes after prayer for confirmation from the Lord… and Tuesdays and Sundays I go to the prayer meetings at church.”

Even though both religious groups respond with similar answers to what it means to be a good Muslim or Christian, many Muslims express that they do not have time to read the Qur’an every day, while Christian children and parents mention attending 2–3 weekly church services and events.13

“We live in tents. It’s like a tribal life. No one prays or worships God like we used to in Syria.”

- Rama, mother


Leveraging assetsOur study shows that consistent ministry efforts from churches and faith-based organizations have a positive impact on Syrian refugee children and families. Likewise, the experts participating in the study support this observation by emphasizing the positive impact of their ongoing efforts with Syrians. While some organizations focus on education, housing and physical needs, others address emotional and spiritual needs through counseling and consistent life-giving relationships with refugees.

Regardless of the type of help, our findings support the idea that churches and consistent relief-based programs have a positive impact within their scope of influence.

Christian and Muslims alike speak positively about the efforts of churches and relief-based programs. Some Christian parents who attend church and participate in Christian-related activities describe a positive change in their children. For instance, one parent states that his children are “more at peace … [and] they have more enthusiasm to work and hope for the best at school.” On the other hand, parents who “can’t see what can bring hope” tend to be the parents who do not attend church, do not pray every day and do not read religious books.

While most participants express a negative outlook on their new lives in Lebanon as refugees, a few Christian individuals state that they have enjoyed their time because they attend church, know new people and occupy themselves in church settings whenever possible. For instance, a 12-year old girl from Zahleh describes in her interview that she is


happier now that she lives in Lebanon: “I have more fun since I met all the members of the church, we play games and they truly love us.” She then goes on to describe that there are no churches in Syria14 and appreciates the opportunity to participate in church ministry activities in Lebanon.

These findings show that consistent relief-based programs, including weekly church services provide a healthy and fun atmosphere for children to play, grow and learn about God with others in their community. Therefore, any new program development or effort should make it a priority to leverage the existing programs and ministry efforts that are already having a positive impact in the lives of many Syrian refugees.

“I have more fun since I met all the members of the church, we play games and they truly love us.”

- Radiyah, 12


A collaborative responseAs the conflict grows and becomes increasingly complex, so must the response. The reality is that no single-handed effort will result in a lasting impact. The problems stemming from the Syrian refugee crisis are multi-layered and ever-changing in scope and character. The educational challenges must certainly be dealt with today, as there is no sign of letup in the near future. The devastating effects of trauma manifest differently in every individual, and significant work must be done to prevent a generation of distressed refugees from seeking unhealthy forms of sustenance and self-preservation.

Help is needed at every level and no single organization or entity is fully equipped to address every level of need. Churches and faith-based organizations should look to relief and development experts and agencies for best practices and ways to address underlying needs. Relief-based organizations and agencies should look to churches and church networks as reserves of human capital that can be leveraged to increase the scope and human touch of existing programs and relief efforts.

It is clear that a great work is being done among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and beyond. However, despite the fruit of such efforts, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees are still disconnected from the purview of faith-based organizations and the church community.

It is our hope that this study will be a resource to help various organizations, agencies and churches to strategize, partner and collaborate to address the complex needs of Syrian refugee children and their families.


AppendixMethodology

A mixed methods approach was used to conduct the research for Children in Crisis. First, a literature review of previous research, data, reports and relevant information was conducted on the following topics: the role of religion and spirituality among the lives of Syrian children and youth; the role of religion and spirituality among the lives of refugee children; and the psychosocial needs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the Middle East. Upon completion of the literature review, the research team at OneHope developed interview and focus group guides for the primary research conducted in Lebanon.

Informal interviews and focus groups were conducted with Syrian refugee children and youth. Informal interviews were conducted with Syrian refugee parents and a series of expert interviews were conducted with field experts working directly with Syrian refugees. These experts were identified by NEI and interviewed by the research assistants. The sample size in this study reflects a geographically stratified sampling in four major areas in Lebanon that are concentrations of Syrian refugees. These regions include the following: Bekaa, Zahle, Beirut and Damour.15 Quotas were determined for each region and each demographic group, which are displayed below. Two Lebanese research assistants collected data during the month of October 2013 and the raw data was


sent (in English) to OneHope. OneHope contracted with Elite Research Group (ERG) to analyze the data and provide a report of the findings. That report was provided to OneHope and NEI, from which the analysis was discussed and used for program design. Much of the analysis from that report is included in Children in Crisis.

Quotas

Figure 1: interview quotas and participation by region

Region Beirut Damour Zahle Bekaa Total

Demographic Mother Father Mother Father Mother Father Mother Father Parents

Quota 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 216

Actual 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Demographic 10-14 15-17 10-14 15-17 10-14 15-17 10-14 15-17 10-14 15-17

Quota 5 <3 5 <3 5 <3 5 <3 20 <12

Actual 6 2 8 0 5 3 8 0 27 5

Figure 2: focus group quotas and participation per region

Region Beirut Damour Zahle Bekaa Total

Quota 2 2 2 2 8

Actual 2 2 2 2 8

# of Participants 8 13 14 12 48


0-1 1-3 4-6 7-12 13-24 >243-5 6-8 >8

Participants

As shown, most participants live in a household of more than eight people and have lived in Lebanon for 7–12 months. The amount of people in each household is important to note because the number of Syrian refugees in poverty is already high, but adding the fact that their houses (or tents, in many cases) are home to so many people shows even more challenges for their families.

Number of People in Household Time Lived in Lebanon

Num

ber

of P

artic

ipan

ts

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

People: Months:

Figure 3: household demographics of study participants


Limitations

It is important to note the various limitations of Children in Crisis. While the study was meant to draw data from a broad range of Syrian refugees throughout Lebanon, participants in the study (including children, youth and parents) were primarily identified and contacted through existing organizational and faith-based ministry networks of NEI and OneHope. Therefore, the participants of this study largely reflect individuals and communities who have some social connection to nonprofit or faith-based ministries working in Lebanon. Conducting research in refugee settlements would require government approval at a local or municipal level and is a task beyond the scope or capacity of OneHope or NEI. Moreover, such an approach would yield serious safety concerns that neither organization was willing to participate in.

Secondly, as stated throughout the report, this study was conducted exclusively in Lebanon and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or experiences of Syrian refugees in other affected countries such as Jordan, Iraq or Turkey. Moreover, the nature of this study was purely qualitative and did not attempt to be quantitative or representative at large. Such conclusions or use of statistics would require a comprehensive quantitative study well beyond the scope of this project.

Finally, this report especially focuses on the emotional and psychosocial needs of Syrian refugee children and their families. Although data from interviews and focus groups point to a wide range of physical needs such as education, housing, jobs, finances, etc., special consideration was taken to analyze and report on the intangible needs such as emotional and psychosocial needs stemming from trauma and recent life-altering experiences among Syrian refugees.


BibliographyCentral Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Web.

The Future of Syria: Refugee Children in Crisis. Publication. UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency, 2013. p 23.

Katz, Andrew. “Tragedy by Numbers: The Lasting Impact of War on Syria’s Children.” Time. 28 Nov. 2013. Web

Lebanon: Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Syrian Conflict. Publication. World Bank, 2013. p 1.

Nelson, Cassandra. “Syria’s Traumatized Refugee Children will be the ones to Rebuild their Country.” CNN. 23 Aug. 2013. Web.

Nichols, Michelle. “Syrians Fleeing War at rate not seen since Rwandan Genocide: U.N.” Reuters, 16 July 2013. Web.

Ressler, Everett M., Joanne Marie. Tortorici, and Alex Marcelino. Children in War: A Guide to the Provision of Services. New York: UNICEF, 1993. Web.

Robbed of Childhood: Running from War. Publication. Beirut: World Vision, 2012.

Syria Regional Response Plan: January to December 2013. Publication. United Nations. 2012

Syria’s Children: A lost generation? Crisis report March 2011 – March 2013. Publication. UNICEF. 2013.


Endnotes1. LaFranchie, Howard. “World Refugee Day: UN Calls Syria

‘Worst Humanitarian Disaster’ since Cold War.” The Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2013. Web.

2. Nichols, Michelle. “Syrians Fleeing War at rate not seen since Rwandan Genocide: U.N.” Reuters, 16 July 2013. Web.

3. Lebanon: Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Syrian Conflict. World Bank, 2013. p 1.

4. Ressler, Everett M., Joanne Marie. Tortorici, and Alex Marcelino. Children in War: A Guide to the Provision of Services. New York: UNICEF, 1993. Web. p 170.

5. Katz, Andrew. “Tragedy by Numbers: The Lasting Impact of War on Syria’s Children.” Time. 28 Nov. 2013. Web.

6. Nelson, Cassandra. “Syria’s Traumatized Refugee Children will be the ones to Rebuild their Country.” CNN. 23 Aug. 2013. Web.

7. See Robbed of Childhood: Running from War. Publication. Beirut: World Vision, 2012.

8. The Future of Syria: Refugee Children in Crisis. Publication. UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency, 2013. p 23.

9. Lebanon: Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Syrian Conflict. World Bank, 2013. p 1.

10. Overcrowding and lack of access to basic amenities


such as clean water, proper roofing and adequate sanitation are common housing problems. According to the World Vision publication titled Robbed of Childhood: Running from War, they found that sometimes there were 45 people living in a 5-bedroom apartment. Figure 3 on page 22 illustrates that the majority of participants in this study come from households with more than 8 people.

11. In this case the term “Muslim” refers to both Sunni

and Shi’ite Muslims, Druze, Alawites, and other smaller Muslim or Gnostic sects.

12. Lebanon may have a slightly higher Christian population among Syrian refugees. Since Lebanon has the largest ratio of Christians of any other country in the region, Christians have freedoms in Lebanon that may not be realized in other countries in the region and therefore may attract more Syrian Christians than countries such as Jordan, Iraq, or Turkey.

13. Further research would need to be conducted among both Christians and Muslims in order to determine the extent of these realities and how reflective they are of the refugee population at large. Regardless, it is important to note the functional similarities among religious worldviews and the different struggles and realities that shape their religious praxis.

14. Although there are approximately 945 churches in Syria according to Operation World, churches in Syria face largely face religious persecution and do not have the freedom to engage in outreach ministry.

15. Originally, the fourth region identified was supposed to be Tripoli. However, due to significant security threats in and around Tripoli, the research team in Lebanon selected Damour as the fourth region in which to draw its sample from.


ContributorsRyan Secrest Project Director

James KahwagiResearch Assistant

Christelle Boustani Research Assistant

Dave PlateResearch Advisor

Kimberly McKayResearch Advisor

Michal Meulenberg Literature Review Research Assistant

Elite Research GroupChief Data Analysts

© December 2013

OneHope600 SW 3rd St.

Pompano Beach, FL, 33060

1.800.GIV.BIBLwww.onehope.net

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Syria: Children in Crisis