The Syrian refugee crisis is a reminder that conflict and war have consequences of immense public health importance. Professor Hans Rosling has produced a simple but incisive account of the scale of the problem facing Europe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uljFaRuJ68&spfreload=10). If an apple represents 1 million Syrian people, 20 apples represent the Syrian population, 12 apples represent displaced populations, 4 of which are external to Syria. A quarter of an apple represents asylum seekers coming to the EU. The disproportionate burden of immediate and long-term health consequences falls on Syria and surrounding nations such as Lebanon and Turkey. Not only is there loss of life due to war and direct actions and injuries, political persecution by state or non-state forces leads to mass migrations of people seeking safety, security, and a future for themselves and their children. The tragic images of a 3-year-old boy, Alan Kurdi, lying on a Turkish beach after failing to survive a sea crossing, have sparked a rethink among world leaders. What should be their response to humanitarian crises and asylum seekers?