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Please note, this call for papers has now closed

A line of Syrian women and a young girl queue to register at an impromptu centre set up by UNHCR and partners just outside Arsal, Lebanon © UNHCR / M Hofer
A line of Syrian women and a young girl queue to register at an impromptu centre set up by UNHCR and partners just outside Arsal, Lebanon

The numbers of displaced people in and from Syria continues to increase, Syrian refugees themselves and also Iraqi and Palestine refugees and others. The majority of those displaced externally have gone to Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, although there are also significant numbers in Turkey, across the Middle and Near East and beyond.

The official status, physical conditions and social reception of the refugees have not been uniform either across geography or across time so far. With no obvious sign that the crisis inside Syria will die down in a manner or time that is predictable, and with the possibility of related or spin-off conflicts spreading further across the region, it is too soon to be definitive in offering prescriptions for responses or solutions. However, a pattern of needs, lacks and problems has already emerged and it is not too early to offer observations that could be of value in increasing the level of protection for the displaced and in shaping assistance to both the displaced and the countries and communities that are ‘hosting’ them.

The FMR editors are looking for practice-oriented submissions, reflecting a diverse range of opinions focusing on the Syria crisis, and specifically on issues of costs and impacts, and on protection for people displaced by the Syrian crisis. Submissions will address questions such as the following:

  • What are the specific risks , vulnerabilities and impacts for the refugees and  places and communities of displacement inside or outside Syria?
  • How are refugees and host populations coping with the costs and impacts of displacement in areas such as livelihoods, housing, employment and food security?
  • What strategies and development programmes are being implemented to mediate the macro- and micro-economic impacts of displacement for refugees and their host countries and communities?
  • How are specific protection risks faced by different groups of refugees being addressed by host governments and humanitarian actors?
  • How have relations or tensions between displaced and ‘hosts’ affected displaced people and hosts?
  • Does it matter that many refugees from Syria are irregular, uncounted or unregistered?
  • What are the implications of the fact that countries involved  have not signed the Refugee Convention or its Protocol?
  • What about specific vulnerable groups such as women and girls, children and young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, etc?
  • Have assistance and protection programmes of ‘traditional’ and non-traditional humanitarian actors been appropriate? Have non-traditional donors brought new approaches?

We are looking for examples of good, replicable practice and experience. We are also particularly keen to reflect the experiences and knowledge of communities and individuals directly affected by these questions.

Submissions

Maximum length: 2,500 words
Deadline for submission: 19 May 2014

PLEASE NOTE: This will be a short issue of FMR and we will only be able to accommodate a limited number of articles. If you are interested in submitting an article, please email the Editors in advance of writing (and as soon as possible) at fmr@qeh.ox.ac.uk with a proposed outline.

Authors are reminded that FMR seeks to include articles with a gendered approach or a gender analysis as part of them. And we are keen to reflect the experiences, knowledge and voices of affected communities and individuals. Please consider writing for us even if you have not written an article before. We would be happy to work with you to develop an article.

Please note that space is always at a premium in FMR and that published articles are usually shorter than this maximum length.  Your article, if accepted for publication, may well be shortened but you will of course be consulted about any editing changes.

Please email the Editors at fmr@qeh.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in contributing or have suggestions of colleagues or community representatives who may wish to contribute. If you can put us in touch with displaced people who might be interested in writing, please do email us; we are happy to work with individuals to help them develop an article.

If you are planning to write, we would be grateful if you would take note of our Guidelines for authors at: www.fmreview.org/writing-fmr.