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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees · wonderful Aria Khiabani, and I have worked tirelessly over the past months to bring you all a broad and enriching set of General and

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Marianopolis College Model United Nations 2019 | February 9-10 2019

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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Table of Contents

Letter from the Under-Secretary-General .......................................................... 3

Letter from the Chair .............................................................................................. 4

Topic 1: The Syrian Refugee Crisis ..................................................................... 6

International Regional Framework .................................................................. 6

Role of International Systems ............................................................................ 7

Urban Settings ..................................................................................................... 9

Camp Settings ..................................................................................................10

Topic 2: The Yemeni Refugee Crisis ................................................................ 13

Regional Political Setting ...............................................................................13

Key Statistics ....................................................................................................14

Country list……………………………………………………………………………..16

Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 17

Marianopolis College Model United Nations 2019 | February 9-10 2019

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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Welcome to MariMUN 2019!

Dear Delegates,

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to MariMUN 2019’s Special Session of the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees! My partner in crime, the ever-

wonderful Aria Khiabani, and I have worked tirelessly over the past months to bring

you all a broad and enriching set of General and Specialized agencies, and we

are looking forward to seeing the clever policy solutions you implement to solve

the numerous challenges you’ll be facing over the weekend.

We are especially thrilled with the incredible passion and dedication that

your Chairs and Vice-Chairs have deployed over the course of preparing this

committee. We hope this feverish excitement will be contagious, and that you,

delegates, will be even more enthusiastic and creative in all your debating,

resolution paper-writing, and award-winning endeavors.

Speaking of which, I want to take this opportunity to highlight the

importance of collaboration and diplomacy at MariMUN. Cooperating with fellow

delegates to achieve innovative policy solutions, no matter what your gavel-

collecting intentions may be, should be the main aim of your weekend. In the end,

it’s this diplomatic action that will leave you most enriched by your time spent at

Marianopolis over the weekend.

Oh, and I almost forgot, have some fun! The conference, in my experience,

goes by much too quickly.

Warm Wishes and Happy MariMUNing!

Guillaume Bouchard

Under-Secretary-General, General Assemblies and Specialized Agencies

[email protected]

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Letter from the Chair

It is with immense pleasure that I welcome you all to MariMUN’s 2019

edition. My name is Karin Kassabian, and I will be your chair for the weekend

throughout this conference. Please allow to begin with an introduction of our

amazing Vice-Chairs.

Darya Jabbari is a first year honors social science student at Marianopolis

College. She wholeheartedly believes that MUN is an excellent opportunity to

learn more about complex current and historical global issues and develop

fundamental skills such as team building, public speaking, and debating. When

she isn’t writing a position paper, Darya is either sipping a big cup of milk tea,

reading novels and poems, or volunteering at a one of Montreal’s many refugee

centers. She is extremely excited to meet all of you and hear your policy solutions!

Annanaya Malik is a second year commerce student at Marianopolis

College. She first started MUN in grade 11 when she was forced to do it for marks.

Luckily, she loved it. Since then, she has focused her interest on GA’s. She enjoys

food, Netflixing, and long walks on the beach. Safe to say she has a stellar sense

of humour too!

As for myself, Hailing from Aleppo, Syria, and having a plethora of friends

and family who are refugees themselves, this committee hits very close to home. I

am excited to listen to your amazing speeches and to see the conclusions you

reach. I graduated from Marianopolis College last year, studying Law, Society,

and Justice in the Social Science program. During my time at Marianopolis, I was

a staff member at MariMUN, as well as a member of the secretariat, serving as the

USG of ceremonies and Events. Currently, I am a student at McGill University,

Majoring in Anthropology and Political Science. Since the beginning of this school

year, I have been competing on the collegiate Model UN circuit as a member of

the McGill Delegation team. I also self-claim as a GA specialist.

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The following background guide is an introduction to the topics we will be

exploring in this panel of the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees. I

urge everyone to use this background guide as a starting point for your research.

All delegates should keep in mind that Model UN is more than about

roleplaying or taking on a character. It is about diplomacy, international relations,

and above all, it allows students that are full of potential to develop critical skills

that will enable them to excel in this committee, and later in life. I encourage all

of you to approach your time at MariMUN with an open mind and an eagerness

to learn and to embrace the challenges that will approach you. Thank you, and

see you all soon!

Best Regards,

Karin Kassabian

Chair

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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Topic A: The Syrian Refugee Crisis

Since the beginning of the Syrian War in 2011, almost 6 million people have

fled their war-torn country. Another 6 million have been internally displaced, 1 half

of which are in areas for which they are unaccounted, and the rest have basic

unmet needs.2 The conflict, sparked by the Assad regime’s violent backlash to

2011’s Arab Spring protests, has resulted in one of the biggest, most devastating

refugee crises since the Second World War.3 Although internally displaced persons

are not, strictly speaking, under the mandate of the UNHCR,4 they’ve entered the

scope of its work recently. When addressing the protection, security, and health

needs of internally displaced persons,5 the UNHCR faces resistance, as they

remain under a state’s jurisdiction.6 The current involvement of UNHCR regarding

the Syrian refugee crisis has been the agency’s largest operation to date.7

The Syrian refugee crisis has grave ramifications in the region, given that the

more significant part of three million people have crossed Syria’s borders and are

now scattered throughout varying neighboring countries.8 The situation has

become a burden for most of the neighboring countries in the middle east, and

closer countries in Eastern Europe, as hosting Syrian refugees has undoubtedly

overstretched their infrastructures and budgets. The living conditions of Syrian

refugees are often poor, as 16% of them live in camps, while the remaining 84%

live primarily in urban areas, where they are more vulnerable to arrest, exploitation

and do not have access to or resources for food and housing.9 As the UN’s

Secretary-General, António Guterres, noted: “Syria has become the great tragedy

of this century – a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and

displacement unparalleled in recent history.”10

International and Regional Framework

Although the Syrian refugee crisis is a recent development, there have

been global and regional legal instruments framing the issues surrounding the crisis

1 UNHCR, Refugee total hits 3 million as Syrians flee growing insecurity and worsening conditions, 2014; BBC,

Arab Uprising: Country by country – Syria. 2 Australia for UNHCR, Syria Crisis Appeal; United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Palestine Refugees. 3 Ibid. 4 UNHCR, Internally Displaced People. 5 UNHCR, The 1951 Refugee Convention. 6 UNHCR, Refugee total hits 3 million as Syrians flee growing insecurity and worsening conditions. 7 UNHCR, UNHCR and host countries seek more help to cope with Syria refugee crisis. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 UNHCR, The 1951 Refugee Convention

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for decades. Since its adoption in 1951,11 the Convention relating to the Status of

Refugees has been the main framework for such matters. It defines a “refugee” as

anyone who: “Owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of

race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political

opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such

fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not

having the nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual

residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to

return to it.” 12

Syrian refugees fall under this definition, as they have fled from the civil war

that worsened over the past several years. 13Moreover, the lack of resolution to this

conflict makes them unable or unwilling to return to their country.14 Whereas the

Convention applies to Syrian refugees, it should be noted that Iraq, Jordan, and

Lebanon are not parties to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

(1951).15

The definition for refugees doesn’t, however, apply to Internally Displaced

Persons.16 IDPs do, as civilians, have protected rights under international

humanitarian law, namely the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional

Protocols of 1977. 17 However, to clarify several aspects of IDPs’ status and to draw

attention to their particular needs, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

(1998) were drafted as a way to locate IDPs at the intersection between

international humanitarian law, human rights law, and refugee law.18

On a regional level, the referential document about this topic is the revised

Arab Charter on Human Rights, adopted in 2004 by the members of the League

of Arab States. To address the criticism it faced and to improve the

implementation of the Charter, its 45th article created the Arab Human Rights

Committee.19 The Charter promotes individual, civil, political, economic, social

and cultural rights, as well as rules of justice. Although the Charter is applicable in

the region about this topic, there still lacks an enforcement and accountability

mechanism.20

Role of the International System

11 UN General Assembly, Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (A/RES/409 (V)), 1951 12 UN Office of Legal Affairs, Chapter V, Refugees and Stateless Persons. 13 Ibid. 14 UN Economic and Social Council, Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2). 15 UNHCR, The 1951 Refugee Convention. 16 UNHCR, Syrian Arab Republic. 17 Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan & Syria Regional Response Plan, Common Planning Framework. 18 Al-Midani & Cabanettes, Arab Charter on Human Rights. 19 Ibid. 20 UNHCR, UNHCR - A Year in Review 2013.

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Within the United Nations system, the UNHCR is the lead agency responding

to the Syrian refugee crisis. Initially present in Syria to monitor the arrival of Iraqi

refugees in the 1990s, since 2012, the UNHCR has taken on a leading role in

assisting Syrian IDPs. 21Their operations in the field cover non-food items (NFIs),

shelter, health, cash assistance, and protection among other forms of aid. The

agency works with international actors under an inter-agency framework to

strengthen the coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance.22

The Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP), 23comprised of UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assist 9.3 million people

in need with a needed budget of $2.27 billion.24 They oversee 112 projects to

complete five main objectives. More precisely, they work towards the protection

of civilians, the provision of emergency services and relief supplies, and the

restoration of livelihoods. Within this framework, the UNHCR focuses mainly on

camp management.25 SHARP assists roughly three million people of concern.

A few years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 68/180 on

“Protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons” and Resolution

68/182, relating to the “Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic.”26

Which stated that the rising numbers of refugees concerned the General Assembly

due to the political issues in Syria, and further urged the UNHCR and other

agencies to support Syrian refugees and the host countries.27 In 2014, the UN

Security Council adopted resolution 2139 on the Middle East, in which it urged “all

Member States, based on burden-sharing principles, to support the neighboring

host countries to enable them to respond to the growing humanitarian needs [of

Syrian refugees and IDPs].”28 This resolution is of utmost significance, as it

represented a necessary step to support civilians and host countries, as well as a

renewed commitment from the Security Council.29

In addition to the UN system and its agencies, international and national

NGOs have played an essential role in the Syrian refugee crisis. With an extensive

grass-roots network and knowledge of local communities, they represent a

considerable partner for UNHCR. Among these organizations, the International

Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has unlocked a budget of $157 million to

provide humanitarian assistance for Syrian IDPs and refugees.30 The Norwegian

21 Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan & Syria Regional Response Plan, Common Planning Framework. 22 OCHA, Humanitarian Response.

23 UN OCHA, 2014 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP). 24 Ibid. 25 UN General Assembly, Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic (A/RES/68/182). 26 UN Security Council, Middle East (S/RES/2139 (2014)) [Resolution]. 27 UNHCR, Education Regional Dashboard June 2017. 28 UNHCR, UNHCR and host countries seek more help to cope with Syria refugee crisis. 29 Ibid. 30 Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan & Syria Regional Response Plan, Common Planning Framework.

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Refugee Council (NRC), on the other hand, focuses its resources mostly on shelter,

education, sanitation, and hygiene. In 2013, the NRC constructed or rehabilitated

hundreds of housing units and numerous classrooms, as well as restrooms and

water points. Other NGOs who partnered with the UNHCR to provide aid to

refugees include Save the Children, Oxfam, Relief International, and the

International Rescue Committee.

Urban Settings

Refugees living in urban areas have better opportunities than those living in

camps, as they can retain a certain degree of autonomy and earn money on

their own. To better address their needs, the UNHCR published their “Policy on

refugee protection and solutions in urban areas” in 2009, laying down a new, two-

pronged approach to the issue.31 First, “it is to make certain that the cities are

recognized as legitimate locations for refugees to reside and exercise the rights

which they are entitled to,” and second, “to maximize the protection of the

available space to urban refugees and the humanitarian organizations that

support them.” Through the Syrian Regional Response Plan, UNHCR assists refugees

living in urban areas with a wide variety of measures, including assistance in the

areas of education, livelihoods, and shelter.32

Education

As of a few years ago, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugee children

were enrolled in primary or secondary school, comprising over 50% of the planned

target of the RRP. Despite improvements made on the education front, many

challenges remain and differ depending on the host country.33 In Egypt, some

difficulties stem from the different dialect of the Egyptian school system to which

Syrian children struggle to adapt. Moreover, some parents of school-aged Syrians

are reluctant to enroll them, for fear of sexual and other harassment or

discrimination both in school and on their way to school. Jordan has the highest

number of Syrian refugee children enrolled in formal education, with 120,555 of

them attending school.34 As a result, the capacity and space of Jordan’s school

system is overstretched, which constitutes a significant obstacle to the education

of both Syrian and Jordan children. Among the policies employed to face these

challenges, the “No Lost Generation” strategy implemented by the UNICEF has

three main objectives: increasing learned skill and abilities, providing an

environment in which they are protected and broadening opportunities for

children and adolescents. In this regard, issues that will need to be addressed by

delegates include augmenting the capacity of the school system in host countries,

31 UNHCR, Syria Regional Refugee Response. 32 Syria: Unprecedented humanitarian needs entail record budget, International Committee of the Red Cross. 33 UNHCR, UNHCR policy on refugee protection and solutions in urban areas. 34 UNHCR, Urban Refugees.

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implementing strategies to help Syrian children adapting to different dialects, and

providing more protection from sexual discrimination.

Livelihoods

In order to provide for themselves, Syrian refugees need to have access to

their host country’s labor market. Unfortunately, in some cases, their refugee status

makes it more difficult for them to find employment.35 This issue is particularly real

in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon since none of them are parties to the Convention

relating to the status of Refugees (1951). In Iraq, for example, Syrian refugees can

work legally so far as they have a residency permit, but acquiring such a

document can prove challenging.36 Indeed, residency permits are not provided

anymore in non-camp settings since April 2013. While the RRP has led several

initiatives for employment assistance or business development projects, other

challenges need to be addressed with attention paid to long-term solutions. These

additional areas of concern include “the remoteness of locations where refugees

reside, language skills, tools, capita and increasing intolerance towards Syrian

refugees.”

Shelter

Syrian refugees living outside of camps have several options when it comes

to housing. Some of them choose to rent homes or apartments, but this raises

difficulties on an economic level, as this option necessitates the payment of a

monthly fee. To provide refugees with shelter assistance, the UNHCR implemented

several strategies, including cash for rent, shelter kits, and weatherproofing. When

they cannot afford this type of housing, Syrian refugees have to resort to living in

collective centers or unfinished buildings, where they may sacrifice their privacy

and safety. This situation is particularly alarming in Lebanon, as this hosting country

does not have any camps, and thus all Syrian refugees are burdened with the

responsibility of finding appropriate shelter.37 Aware of the particularity of this

situation, the RRP has implemented a strategy comprised of three objectives:

“providing safe and dignified emergency shelter to newly arriving households;

improving substandard shelters and maintaining the shelter conditions of

vulnerable households; and, upgrading properties belonging to Lebanese host

families, thus enabling them to benefit from structural improvements in the long-

term.”38

Camp Settings

35 UNHCR, Livelihoods Regional Dashboard June 2017. 36 United Nations, Office of Legal Affairs, Chapter V, Refugees and Stateless Persons. 37 UNHCR, Shelter Regional Dashboard February 2016. 38 UNHCR, 2014 Syria Regional response Plan. Strategic Overview, 2014.

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16 percent of the three million Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries

live in camps.39 The proportion of refugees living in camps versus those living

elsewhere, however, differs among host countries, as people have fled to them

out of need, location, services, and familiarity. Some of the most basic and most

common challenges faced by Syrians living in refugee camps include nutritional

health, water, and hygiene, and sanitation.

Health and Nutrition

The problems refugees usually encounter regarding their health and

nutrition in camps include communicable and non- infectious diseases, low

immunization coverage, malnutrition, mental illness, and a lack of access to

reproductive health care. The overall current situation is different depending on

the country hosting the camp, as primary health care is granted by nations’

respective healthcare systems. Therefore, challenges and priorities vary across

nations.40 In Iraq, for example, limitations in financial and human resources are the

most significant factor influencing refugee’s health. Beyond individual differences,

all host nations need to “improve equitable access, quality, and coverage to

comprehensive primary health care for all Syrian Refugees” and “support the

capacity of the national health care system to provide both nutritional and health

services.”

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

The challenges met with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) stem from

pre-existing problems in host countries. These shortcomings may have adverse

effects on various sectors such as livestock and food production with the potential

of ultimately decreasing informal employment in the abovementioned sectors.41

In Jordanian camps, for example, refugees have managed to face tough

challenges which arose from an influx in water-demanding devices, and the cost

of water transportation and filtration overall. In Iraqi as well as other Middle Eastern

camps, some of the measures undertaken to improve WASH are implemented

through community mobilization, which “facilitate[s] greater ownership of

resources.”42

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a threat shared by both

refugees and IDPs and is, therefore, an issue of utmost importance to the UNHCR,

as illustrated in the agency’s publication, “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons – Guidelines for

39 Ibid. 40 UNICEF, No Lost Generation – Strategic Overview. 41 Norwegian Refugee Council, A Terrible Milestone. 42 Ibid.

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Prevention and Response.”43 In the document mentioned above, the agency

gives the following definition for sexual and gender-based violence: “violations of

fundamental human rights that perpetuate sex-stereotyped roles that deny

human dignity and the self-determination of the individual and hamper human

development,” and “physical, sexual and psychological harm that reinforces

female subordination and perpetuates male power and control.”44 SHARP has

undertaken several activities to respond to these types of crimes in Syria, which

includes, but is not limited to, raising awareness for the cause, psychosocial

support, cash assistance, legal advisement, and emergency medical care.45

Challenges to these programs include societal norms which condone particular

sexual and gender-based violence as well as women’s resulting lack of access to

this program’s services. The forced early marriage of young girls, which eventually

leads to a recrudescence of a specific form of SGBV, is also at play in these

families. 46 While Syria’s refugee crisis has exacerbated the risks of SGBV, it also

provides certain opportunities, as “displacement can enable women to take on

new roles and instigate positive change.”

Conclusion

Since 2011, millions of displaced Syrians have faced the challenges of

national or international relocation and rely on the UNHCR. With political tensions

still boiling to this day, the number of refugees continues to grow, causing a rise in

the agency’s demand. More than an internal issue, the entire area, as well as the

rest of the world, are affected by the Syrian refugee crisis as the strain on resources

is felt in host countries. Delegates should attempt to address a variety of issues to

improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees living both in urban and camp

settings and to provide innovative solutions to the challenges these people are

facing. Delegates aren’t, however, tasked with finding a political solution to the

crisis’ root cause.

Questions to Consider In order to attempt to improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees, the

following questions should be kept in mind by the delegates in the committee:

• How can UNHCR facilitate access to their services for refugees living in

urban areas?

• What further partnerships can the UNHCR build with host countries to

alleviate their burden?

• What socioeconomic and cultural barriers would inhibit your country from

making the refugee situation a health priority?

• What should be the responsibility of countries who host refugees?

43 Interaction, 16 projects in Syrian Arab Republic. 44 Ibid. 45 UN OCHA, 2014 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP). 46 UNHCR, UNHCR policy on refugee protection and solutions in camp areas.

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• Should all neighbouring countries accept displaced persons?

• How does your country handle the situation of Syrian refugees attempting

to seek asylum in your territory?

• Do you think permanent dislocation should be an option for refugees who

have already settled in other countries?

• What can we do to help make a difference for refugees in camps?

• What can your country do to go against xenophobia?

Topic B: The Yemeni Refugee Situation

Yemen is currently at the centre of one of the biggest humanitarian crises

the world had ever seen. With more than 3 million people being forced to flee their

country, Yemen supplies one of the largest amounts of refugees for the world.

Famine has taken over the country due to the war and there are over 15 million

people on the brink of starvation. Delegates are tasked with aiding refugees

according to their background and the region they are being displaced to. Many

of these people move across the world with no money in hopes of a better place

to call home but, unfortunately, are not given the resources they need to survive

and thrive. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees would like to

analyze and interpret Yemen’s refugee situation and discuss the case

accordingly.

Regional Political Setting

An extremely vulnerable country for several years now, Yemen faced a

weak governance, underdevelopment, chronic instability and unemployment for

years even before the current conflict which is causing an important load of

population displacement. The situation has deteriorated considerable since late

2014, when an armed group, the Houthis, moved into the capital city of Yemen,

Sana’a, and took control of the government, due to the struggles of the country’s

president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, to remedy his country’s challenges. As a

result, on February 20, 2015, the relatively new president, Hadi, put on a woman’s

niqab and slipped out the back door of his official residence in an attempt to flee

his country, where he was held captive by the Houthi rebels. While hiding in Riyadh,

Saudi Arabia, Hadi called on Saudi Arabia to intervene in Yemen’s civil war, a

decision that only resulted in the heightening of the conflict and displacement of

millions of Yemenis. Indeed, due to the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states’

campaign of air strikes against Houthi targets that rapidly became a siege of the

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entire country, Yemen has turned into one of the worst humanitarian crises of

modern times.47

As is the case with many refugees, Yemeni displaced persons are mostly

unwelcome in their host countries. Thus a vast majority of them have no choice

but to flee to refugee camps near their own country where they end up facing

hunger, relying very limited amount of humanitarian aid and living in extremely

substandard conditions. Living in those conditions with about the equivalent

amount of 2.8$ per month to survive, many refugees would rather return to the war

to at least feel at home. Furthermore, for the Yemenis that are seeking asylum

outside of their neighbouring countries, options are very limited. Indeed, due to

the coverage of the Yemeni War and its crisis by mass media sources and their

close alliance with Saudi Arabia, many countries don't accommodate refugees

from Yemen. The very limited number of countries that do accept to give shelter

to these refugees still don’t treat them with respect. For example, since Jeju

seemed like a gateway to finding work and education in Seoul to many, hundreds

of Yemeni refugee left Malaysia only to be faced with distasteful attitudes from

Jeju’s population, resulting in the Yemeni refugees living a miserable life as they

have been disabled from reaching mainland South Korea and returning to

Malaysia isn't an option for them anymore since it proves to be too much of an

expense. (Al Jazeera) (Center, O.) (Orkaby, A.)

Statistics from the UNHCR

There are more than 15 million people, or 53 percent of Yemen's population,

on the brink of starvation as access to food diminishes every day across the

country. In 2017, Yemen experienced the largest cholera epidemic in the world.

Deteriorating conditions increase the spread of preventable disease. Around 1.1

million people were diagnosed with cholera. As of early 2016, there were 2,430,178

internally displaced persons in Yemen (roughly 1 in 10 people.) Around 21.2 million

people (82% of the population) require some form of humanitarian or protection

assistance. Around 14 million Yemenis do not have sufficient access to healthcare

services. At least 7.6 million people are food insecure in Yemen. Over 1,170 schools

in Yemen are not unfit for use due to conflict-related damage, presence of

internally displaced people, or occupation by armed groups. (UNHCR)

The crisis has been going on in Yemen for a long time and the suffering of the

refugees can be seen clearly. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

47 https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/yemen/2017-03-21/seeking-accountability-yemen

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is tasked with the protection of the refugees, forcibly displaced communities and

stateless peoples created by this crisis.

Questions to Consider

• Is it equally everyone’s responsibility to help Yemeni refugees?

• How do we avoid cover ups by mass media regarding Yemen’s situation?

• How can we raise awareness to people around the globe about the

Yemen crisis?

• Which countries are involved directly and indirectly in this crisis?

• How can we hold the involved countries accountable?

Country List

The following countries will be represented in MariMUN 2019’s UNHCR committee.

1. Syria

2. Lebanon

3. Turkey

4. Jordan

5. Iran

6. Iraq

7. Saudi Arabia

8. Libya

9. Egypt

10. Germany

11. Canada

12. United States

13. Russia

14. China

15. France

16. UK

17. Armenia

18. Greece

19. Austria

20. Sweden

21. Cyprus

22. India

23. Sudan

24. Ethiopia

25. Bangladesh

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26. Pakistan

27. Uganda

28. Australia

29. Albania

30. Finland

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Bibliography

Al Jazeera. (2018) Key facts about the war in Yemen. [online] Yemen News. Available at:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/key-facts-war-yemen-160607112342462.html [Accessed

18 Jan. 2019].

Al-Midani, M. & M Cabanettes. (2006). Arab Charter on Human Rights. Boston University

International Law Journal, 24 (2): 147-164. Retrieved from:

http://www.acihl.org/res/Arab_Charter_on_Human_Rights_2004.pdf

Australia for UNHCR. (n.d.). Syria Crisis Appeal Retrieved from:

http://www.unrefugees.org.au/emergencies/current-emergencies/syria-crisis-urgent-

appeal#overview

Center, O. (2018). Refugee Crisis: Yemen - Open Cultural Center. [online] Open Cultural Center.

Available at: https://openculturalcenter.org/refugee-crisis-yemen/ [Accessed 18 Jan. 2019].

International Committee of the Red Cross. Syria: Unprecedented humanitarian needs entail record

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syria- budget-extension.htm

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egal%20Statu s%20for%20Syrian%20Refugees%20in%20Lebanon%20April%202014.pdf

Norwegian Refugee Council. (A Terrible Milestone. Retrieved from:

http://www.nrc.no/?aid=9147821

Orkaby, A. (2017). Yemen’s Humanitarian Nightmare. [online] Foreign Affairs. Available at:

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