Threat of Terrorist Organizations

With the endless number of attacks from the Assad Regime and the threat of terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Syrian refugees have experienced a disturbing amount of bloodshed and continue to as the Syrian crisis has only worsened. Now that outside nations such as Russia and the US have intervened, either backing Assad himself or using airstrikes to mitigate the terrorist threat, refugees have been caught in the middle. Jordan’s priority must be to stop the airstrikes and bombings perpetrated by the Assad Regime and Russia, which account for the majority of Syrian deaths.

To do this, Jordan must work with other nations bordering Syria to reinforce the de-escalation deal, which has established four de-escalation zones within major battlegrounds where the most fighting between rebels and the Assad regime has occurred. In these zones, warring parties halt the use of weapons including bombs and airstrikes.

These zones also allow humanitarian aid to reach the most at-risk areas. Under this deal, the Syrian government also restores electricity and water where it was cut off.

While this has lessened conflict considerably in those regions, the withdrawal of US troops in the Jordan buffer zone and increased violence between rebels and the Assad region, there is pressure for Jordan to do more, especially considering that the threat of terrorism persists in these zones. Jordan must participate in fortifying this buffer zone to protect itself and refugees and should also work to establish more de-escalation zones near the border as well. Three external factors are currently threatening Jordan, the hundreds of ISIS-affiliated members close to their border, the Iranian Shiite-backed militias, and the refugee strain.

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Not only have ISIS members threatened and killed Jordanian citizens, but an estimated 300 Jordanian militants have also joined ISIS. The Iraqi military forces, massively armed by Iran, are steadily moving into Syria and pose a huge threat to Jordan’s security. Therefore, while Jordan does want to aid Syria, its biggest priority is preserving the internal security and economy of its nation. To combat the growing threat of radicalization, Jordan should make openings for work for more youths. One area for job creation could be the development and installation of small-scale renewable energy projects, which could simultaneously help with the resource scarcity issues. Training our youth for jobs that will give them real skills, will, in turn, decrease the number of radical youth and soldiers. Jordan cannot keep accepting refugees at its current rate, as its economy is deteriorating. We do not want to return refugees to war-ridden areas, however, we understand that rerouting all refugees to already refugee-filled countries of Germany and turkey is not realistic.

We hope that through the establishment of safe zones that are monitored to control the ISIS threat, refugees can safely reside in those areas. We further encourage EU nations to take in refugees who have not taken in a substantial amount or have not helped in funding. In terms of addressing internal humanitarian conflicts, our priority should be to discover ways to reduce water shortages and increase water supply, whether it be through shifting agriculture strategy, using less water-intensive crops, or creating inspections to ensure that farmers are not over digging boreholes. Inadequate use of boreholes has threatened the Jordanian groundwater supply, which is the main water source for civilians and refugees. Jordan should seek external aid to deal with this water crisis, especially from EU nations whose economies have not been strained to the same extent as Jordan. Solutions can include supporting new water infrastructure and pipelines, large infrastructure projects that transport groundwater from deeper wells to the camps, repairing, expanding, and upgrading water filtration systems to make fresh water suitable for human use, and promoting behavioral change amongst the public and educate them about water crisis to encourage them to reduce water consumption. Water-borne diseases also pose a huge threat, especially amongst refugees.

This can be addressed by treating and monitoring water supplies, improving access to medical care for refugees by funding medical personnel, medical equipment, and mobile vans, and educating refugees about the symptoms of water-borne diseases to control small outbreaks. These solutions will require funding, volunteers, and NGOs and we hope more well-off nations will take on the monetary burden as this crisis has exacerbated Jordan’s economy. Another issue is the increased hostility and tension which has arisen between Jordanian citizens and Syrian refugees. With international help, we hope to expand jobs in infrastructures that can be split between refugees and Jordanian citizens. By allowing refugees to help stabilize the nation, we are not only helping Jordan but also creating a need for skilled refugees in Jordan which will undoubtedly improve interactions.