The ongoing impact of the war in Syria on the deaf community is devastating. The conflict began in 2011 and resulted in widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian crises, affecting all parts of Syrian society, including the deaf population. Here is the impact of the war on the deaf community in Syria.
Communication Barriers
Levantine Arabic Sign Language is the primary communication system used in Syria and other surrounding nations like Lebanon and Jordan. Sign Language was in deaf schools around the country, but the curriculum and teaching methods presented a lot of weaknesses.
The communication barrier alienated them from accessing many things in life. But the war only escalated this issue. Now, life is incomprehensible to them. When hearing people gather around and discuss the tragedy ensuing, deaf people couldn’t understand the situation. But that changed when two young deaf Syrians, Bisher, and Ryad, who work at an NGO in Damascus, made new words to describe the violence.
Once these sounds were finalized, Bisher and Ryad recorded videos on Facebook for other deaf people to learn and talk about what their country is facing. This project helped alleviate some of the anxiety and trauma from the war. Even if it wasn’t a foolproof solution, it gave deaf Syrians an outlet to express their emotions.
Displacement: The Problems in Refugee Camps
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The Syrian Civil War uprooted everyone in the country. People had to leave their homes to protect their families. The UN reports in 2023, there are 12 million displaced Syrians, and 6.8 million are in Syria.
Some were lucky enough to get out and flee to neighboring countries, but others were not so fortunate and lived in refugee camps. The refugee camps, often set up by NGOs, provide the displaced with the necessities to survive. It’s a short-term solution. These conditions are bleak, with weak infrastructure, sanitation, and a lack of social services. Many of these people live in extreme poverty.
Sanitation and Hygiene
The deaf people are the most vulnerable part of the refugee camps. The camps are overcrowded and susceptible to a lot of things. Too many people in small quarters spread disease faster. It also poses a threat if there is an emergency like a fire. Sanitation and hygiene are big issues that are hard to keep up with. The water isn’t always clean, and supplies aren’t readily available. That is why diseases will spread fast because people cannot wash themselves or sanitize their living areas.
Gender-Based Violence
Other issues in refugee camps include violence stemming from the ongoing conflicts throughout the region, competition for resources, and sexual violence against women. Women fear being assaulted when using the bathroom or sleeping at night. And for deaf women and girls, it is hard to tell anyone if it occurs.
So, all the dangers of living in refugee camps, from sanitation to violence, threaten inhabitants. Deaf people are the most vulnerable and suffer because of the communication barrier. They cannot communicate their issues or needs to the people helping them. There’s already a lack of necessary supplies, so having an on-site interpreter would be difficult. It puts deaf people worse off.
Limited Opportunities
Syria is a country buried under the remanents of conflict. It’s a heartbreaking narrative for such innocent people. It’s hard to imagine any future in their homeland.
There are over 20,000 deaf people in Syria, but the actual figures are probably five times that, according to The National News. It’s challenging to find anything about the deaf community pre-civil war since the country is in a state of conflict.
Education for the Deaf
Before the war, there were deaf institutions in cities like Damascus and Aleppo that prided themselves on using a curriculum for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Some of these schools have shut down because of the war or lack of funding due to low academic scores. Overall, deaf children were marginalized. The teaching methods didn’t support their specific needs, and the availability of qualified teachers was scarce. These are just several issues affecting deaf students pre-civil war.
Now, the situation has worsened because of the war. Hearing children don’t even have access to formal education in the refugee camps. Some camps provide classes based on the Syrian curriculum, but they are non-accredited.
Accessibility to Healthcare and Therapy
Access to medical care is a human right, no matter the status or circumstance of that individual. With a lack of supplies, some refugee camps are in jeopardy of providing these displaced people with the care they need. That causes mounting health issues for people or death, especially deaf people.
Outside of the refugee camps, Deaf Syrians may face difficulties in accessing healthcare services due to communication barriers. Injuries sustained during the war may also result in long-term disabilities for some members of the deaf community, requiring ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. Deaf individuals, like others, have been exposed to extreme violence and traumatic events during the war, leading to psychological trauma. The lack of mental health services tailored to the needs of the deaf community throughout Syria prolongs their emotional and psychological suffering.
Economic Disparities
In times of war, economic opportunities become bleak for the victims. Many refugees in camps within Syria or on the border with other countries are poor. According to the World Refugee & Migration Council, 91% of Syrians live on around $2 a day. For deaf refugees, job opportunities are non-existent.
Due to deafness, they are usually unable to find something stable. If a deaf refugee is lucky enough to escape the wrath of war in neighboring countries. It is a struggle to get a job in another country. There is fierce competition between the locals and immigrants. This issue is in countries like Lebanon, Germany, Jordan, and other places with many refugees. They usually exhaust their savings to flee. Then have nothing to fall back on or little support to get back on their feet.
Community Isolation
Many factors lead to a life of isolation for deaf people. The communication barrier is enough for them to be an alienated minority group. In times of crisis, the issue of isolation seems to escalate for the deaf community.
The tricky thing is Syria is a developing country. While developing countries worldwide have legislation or signed the Convention of Rights for People with Disabilities (CRPD), the community remains ignored. The reason for their neglect amounts to many things, like societal and cultural prejudice, lack of resources, and other assumptions.
Surviving in Times of Crisis
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In terms of the refugee crisis caused by the Syrian war, there is little research on how many deaf people are in the camps or internally displaced. Because there is so much chaos and a hostile environment looms over Syria since people need necessities. That is how the deaf community became overlooked by the government, the press, and the entire world.
The lack of sign language in Syria, especially in refugee camps now, is furthering the social isolation and diminishing the rights of deaf people. The absence of language is a human rights violation. Without language, it is virtually hard to exist. Deaf people can’t achieve the equality they deserve, especially during war. That’s why they are left to their device and struggle to survive.
Even if the politicians or laws posed to protect them fail, there is a world of advocates. Judith Chan, who joined the UN Refugee Agency in 2011, and is deaf, was determined to do something about it.
While Chan wasn’t involved with the refugees of the ongoing conflict in Syria, she worked in refugee camps in Nepal to teach them communication in sign language, plus reading and writing. Many of these kids had never learned how to communicate. But Chan could empathize with their learning struggles and the process because of her deafness.
The work NGOs do shows some improvement in the lives of refugees. However, it’s a long battle before any significant change is possible, as there needs to be more pressure on the national government to fix it.
A Glimpse of Hope in Za’atari Refugee Camp
As for deaf children, the Za’atari refugee camp on the border between Jordan and Syria has received a lot of praise in the past couple of years.
UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) established this camp alongside other partners in 2012. Since then, it’s become a mini urban settlement for displaced Syrians. There are over 30 schools for everyone who lives there. The education system in the camp strives for inclusivity, especially with the deaf population.
A year after establishing the Za’atari camp, the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf (HLID) started a program in the community center for deaf children. The program provides necessary medical equipment like hearing devices. They also offer therapy to deaf refugees because coping with violence and feeling isolated due to language barriers are common problems.
The most important thing that this program brought to the camp was Sign Language classes. They have qualified teaching volunteers who contribute their previous teaching skills to conducting classes. While the education system for deaf people isn’t perfect in this camp, what they are doing now is giving a beacon of hope for a future that would otherwise seem out of reach.
Going Beyond the Syrian Borders
Those who flee Syria are searching for a better life in a new place. Immigrating to a new country also comes with challenges. The language barrier is one of the biggest problems. For deaf Syrians who only use Levantine Arabic Sign Language, Spread the Sign is an organization that can help them. The project went from 2017-2020, creating an online Levantine Arabic Sign Language dictionary for Syrian migrants. The participating countries, like Sweden, Germany, Greece, and Turkey. The online dictionary facilitated the integration process for Syrians into a new culture and strengthened their skills in other sign languages.
The impact of the war on the deaf community in Syria shows the importance of inclusivity and humanitarian efforts. By ensuring that the specific needs of deaf individuals are met, we can work towards a more equitable and compassionate future for all, even in conflict and adversity. You can learn more about how various organizations are making an effort to achieve this at
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