By Matthew Timmerman Lebanon recently announced it will further curtail the flow of Syrian refugees across its border. With these refugees numbering half the size of the country’s indigenous population (by the government’s estimate), occupying 60% of the labour market, and the total cost of their accommodation estimated at $3bn – it’s a calculated decision …
By Matthew Timmerman A column in honour of the one-year anniversary of Syria’s chemical attack At 2.30 am on the morning of 21 August 2013, statements circulated on Twitter of a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb, and within days 1,500 individuals were reported dead. A UN investigation ensued as Western powers debated the appropriate response. …
By Matthew Timmerman Now well into its fourth year, the crisis in Syria stands as the world’s worst refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide exactly 20 years ago. It’s believed a variety of Syria-specific circumstances have resulted in the scope of the disaster witnessed, the most notable being the nature of the stalemate. Not just any …
