Around the world 65.3 million people (2015 statistics) have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and violence. This is more people than the total population of the UK (64 million), Italy (60 million), Poland (39 million) or Cyprus (1 million).
But what is it like to be a refugee? Why do people become refugees? Does international humanitarian law provide adequate protection to people forced to flee their homes? These are some of the questions you’ll begin to think about as you watch the video about Leka’a, a resident of Zaatari refugee camp.
Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan is one of the many refugee camps around the world under the supervision of the United Nations. It is home to approximately 80,000 Syrian refugees (2015 estimate) and you can learn more about Zaatari here and here.
Watch the video Leka’a’s Story (3’ 56”) and discuss the following questions
- How does Leka’a feel about becoming a refugee?
- Why did she leave Syria?
- What things make life in Zaatari hard and what makes it preferable to staying in Syria?
- What could be done to improve the situation of refugees like Leka’a?
- Is there anything about Leka’a’s experiences or opinions that surprise you? What are these things?
Here is a quiz to find out about issues of refugees globally and within Europe.