With U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Northern Syria, Humanitarian Crisis Looms

Statement from Hardin Lang, Vice President, Refugees International on U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported intention to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria:

Reports that President Trump intends to quickly pull U.S. forces out of northeast Syria are baffling and deeply disturbing. As Refugees International argued following a recent mission to Syria, an abrupt withdrawal of American troops will create a power vacuum that will likely lead to a new round of conflict. Renewed fighting will disrupt communities, displace additional populations, and could trigger another humanitarian crisis. Any major shift in policy or disengagement by the United States should only occur once there are plans in place to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of any ensuing instability.

Refugees International Vice President Hardin Lang and Senior Advocate Daryl Grisgraber traveled to northern Syria earlier this year where they met with U.S., UN, and local officials, displaced persons, and non-governmental organizations.