Aid agencies preparing for Syrian refugees

Canadian aid workers in the Middle East are preparing for an influx of asylum-seekers into already crowded camps, fearing U.S. military action in Syria could drive more people out of the wartorn country.

The policy director at World Vision Canada said Saturday his agency is planning for “a new wave” of people fleeing Syria, out of concern that Thursday’s American military intervention could escalate.

American warships launched almost 60 missiles at a military air base in central Syria, killing nine people. It marked the first time Washington has directly targeted Syrian government forces since the country’s civil war began in 2011.

With that in mind, Martin Fischer said, he and his team have to ask themselves a number of questions in order to adjust their contingency plan.

“Where could military action escalate? What kind of populations are still in those areas? And if there were some sort of military action, how would that transpire into people moving across the border into various countries?” he said, speaking from Amman, Jordan.

“The important thing is to recognize is that if airstrikes happen, it doesn’t automatically mean that people just from those areas move, but it instills a sense of fear into people that really, there’s going to be more fighting. And that’s when they move into neighbouring countries.”

Relief agencies like World Vision may need to redistribute their resources, based on the changing landscape.