Since the Syrian civil war began in March of 2011, more than 4.5 million Syrians have been internally displaced according to United Nations estimates. The United Nations Refugee Agency puts the total number of refugees at 2.2 million. And Antonio Guterres, head of the UN High Commission for Refugees has called Syria, "... the great tragedy of this century - a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history."

The Journal sent columnist Graham Thomson to Jordan and Lebanon for two weeks to witness Canadian relief efforts during the Syrian refugee crisis. The trip was partly sponsored by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which did not approve or review his work. He explored Syrian refugee camps and overwhelmed Lebanese villages, to report on this growing humanitarian crisis.

To put these stories in proper context, the Journal has compiled a crash course on the crisis. Included is a timeline of events during the civil war, maps of where the displaced are going and where they are coming from and charts explaining how many refugees there are and when they left. For all of Thomson's stories about the crisis, click here.

All digital elements by Lucas Timmons.

Timeline of events in the Syrian Civil War


Displaced Syrians in Lebanon

Based on the United Nations Refugee Agency's estimates, by the end of November there were over 830,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The largest group of refugees is in the Bekaa area, along the Syrian border.

This choropleth map shows the density of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The darker the area, the more refugees there are. Hover over or touch any part of the map for a popup with detailed information. The map is divided into the districts. For results by governorate, check the table below.

Mount Lebanon151,07436,050

All data for the map current as of Nov. 28, 2013. All data from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Where are the Syrians coming from?

The Syrian refugees are turning up all across the region. As of Dec. 3, 2013 the largest group of refugee Syrians was in Lebanon. Lebanon has taken in over 830,000 refugees, Jordan has accepted over 563,000, Turkey over 536,000, Iraq over 206,000 and Egypt over 128,000.

Hover over or press any city on the map to see a detailed popup on how many people have abandoned their home there to seek refuge in other countries.

Place of OriginPersons% Total
Rural Damascus92,15012.10%
Ar Raqqah26,3283.50%
AI Hasakah17,0532.20%
Deir ez-Zor12,3791.60%
As Suwayda2750.00%


Who are they?

More than half of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are children. 401,541 of the 758,711 or roughly 53 per cent of the refugees are under 18 years old.

There are also more female than male refugees. There are 389,537 females and 369,234 males. That nearly 20,000 person gap represents a 1.3 per cent difference between women and men.

Syrian refugee women stand in line to receive their families' share of winter aid kits at Zaatari refugee camp, near the Syrian border, in Mafraq, Jordan, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013.

All data for the chart current as of Nov. 28, 2013. All data from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Other refugee crises

The United Nations Refugee Agency is tracking six other refugee crises in the region in addition to the situation in Syria -- Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, the Sahel Emergency, South Sudan, the Sudanese in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Click on the crisis' name to be taken to an information portal about that crisis.

CrisisRegistered refugee population
Cote d'Iviore222,265 Returned
Shael Emergency177,927*
South Sudan227,692
Sudanese in Ethiopia38,816
Horn of Africa1,001,691

*Indicates population of concern and not registered refugees.


Other humanitarian crises

The 21st century has seen its fair share of humanitarian crises. Here is a non-exhaustive list of other dire situations.

1948 - Present Israeli-Palestinian conflictA low-intensity conflict between Israel and Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency estimates there are 5 million Palestine and Palestinian refugees under its care.5 million refugees
1978 - Present Afghanistan civil warA communist coup in 1978 has led to over 35 years of violence in Afghanistan. Estimates vary, but put the total dead at between 1.4 and 2 million.1.4 to 2 million total dead
1983 - 2009 Sir Lankan Civil WarA 25 year conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam saw an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 killed overall.Between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths
2003 - Present Darfur ConflictA war between the Government of Sudan and Sudan Liberation Movement. Attacks by the rebels led to government sponsored genocide against non-Arabs in Darfur. Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir has been indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Excess deaths are estimated at between 178,258 and 461,520 by the Lancet and the UN puts the number of displaced people at 2.85 million.Between 178,258 and 461,520 dead
2003 - 2011Iraq WarThe eight-year invasion and occupation of Iraq to overthrow the Ba'ath Party government and remove Saddam Hussein from power resulted in over 100,000 civilian deaths. The Iraq Body Count project puts the total civilian deaths between 101,160 and 113,728.Between 101,160 and 113,728 civilian deaths
2004 - 2009, 2012 - PresentKivu ConflictA fight between the armies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. Estimates vary, but a study released in in 2007 by the International Rescue Committee put the total death count up to that point at over 5.4 million.Over 5.4 million dead
2004Indian Ocean tsunamiA magnitude 9.3 earthquake in the Indian ocean caused a tsunami with waves up to 30 metres high. One of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, the tsunami killed between 230,000 and 280,000 people.Between 230,000 and 280,000 dead
2005Hurricane KatrinaWith winds blowing up to 280 km/h, Hurricane Katrina was one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States and the sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. At least 1,833 people died and total property damage was estimated at $81 billion.1,833 people dead
2005Kashmir earthquakeA magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. The earthquake killed 100,000 people, injured 138,000 more and displaced 3.5 million.100,000 people dead
2008Sichuan earthquakeA magnitude 8.0 earthquake in China's Sichuan province that killed 69,195 people and left over 18,000 people missing. It is considered the 21st deadliest earthquake of all time.69,195 people dead
2008Cyclone NargisThe worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis killed over 138,000 people and caused $10 billion dollars worth of damage.138,000 people dead
2010Haiti earthquakeA magnitude 7.0 earthquake, centred approximately 25 kilometres west of Port-au-Prince, killed 100,000 to 316,000 depending on estimates. It is estimated that over 3 million people were affected.Betweem 100,000 and 316,000 people dead
2010Pakistan floodsMonsoon rains in July 2010 sunk approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area. The flooding resulted in more than 1,700 deaths and affected over 20 million people.1,700 people dead
2011Japanese tsunamiA magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan created a tsunami wave which caused flooding, landslides, fires, building and infrastructure damage and nuclear incidents including radiation releases. Over 15,000 people died and over 2,600 went missing.Over 15,000 people dead
2011Pakistan floodsHeavy rains in mid-August 2011 inundated at least 1.7 million acres of arable land. At least 434 people died and 8.9 million were affected by the flooding.At least 434 people died
2011East Africa droughtSaid to be the worst drought in 60 years, the conditions caused a food shortage across Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Estimates put the number of deaths between 50,000 and 260,000.Between 50,000 and 260,000 people dead
2012Sahel droughtsMore than 18 million people are affected by the lack of food available from the drought conditions. Failed crops, insect plagues and high food prices have added to the famine.More than 18 million affected
2013Zamboanga City crisisA 20-day urban war between the Philippine Armed Forces and the Moro National Front, the crisis displaced more than 100,000 people and killed 12 civilians.More than 100,000 people displaced

Other Syrian refugee crisis stories

Special Report: Syria »


Photos: Syrian refugee crisis

Photos from Graham Thomson...

Special Report: Syria »


Syrian refugee crisis

To put the Syrian stories...