The Socio-Economic Consequences of Armed Conflict in Syria

The Socio-Economic Consequences of Armed Conflict in Syria In collaboration with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency The conflict in Syria has exacted a devastating humanitarian toll, destroying the socio-economic livelihoods of millions of Syrians. More than half of the Syrian population now lives in poverty, and nearly 4.4 million Syrians are living in "extreme poverty" without income or savings. The economy continues to contract while unemployment approaches 50 percent. Armed conflict has severely degraded national healthcare and education systems—almost 3,000 schools and hundreds of healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed in the fighting. On November 6, the New America Foundation's Middle East Task Force hosted Alex Pollock, director of the microfinance and microcredit department at UNRWA, for a discussion of the socio-economic conditions in Syria. The program will address the findings of a newly-released socio-economic monitoring report on Syria, and will debate the long-term implications of armed conflict and displacement on Syria's economy and people, including the more than 500,000 Palestine refugees inside Syria. PARTICIPANTS Featured Speaker: Alex Pollock Director, Microfinance and Microcredit Department United Nations Relief and Works Agency Moderator: Leila Hilal Director, Middle East Task Force New America Foundation http://newamerica.net/events/2013/arm...