Egypt: 133, 000. Lebanon: 1.2 million. Turkey: 1.8 million. Jordan: 628,427. Iraq: 247, 861. These figures denote the number of Syrian refugees that have been taken in by neighbouring Arab countries. Despite many facing their own political, social and economic crises, these nations have – to at least some extent – recognised the refugee situation for what it is: a humanitarian crisis on a considerable scale, that must be attended to immediately – both politically and in terms of material relief. However, it appears a few Arab nations have counted themselves out of this collective effort to provide some immediate support. According to Amnesty International, “the six Gulf countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees.” This is despite the fact that these countries are in a uniquely perfect position to do so. Being both relatively accessible to Syrian refugees in terms of location, and as the most stable and resource-wealthy countries in the region, it is not unreasonable to expect the Gulf countries to be at the forefront of the (still far too limited) international effort…
