They run away because the infrastructure all around them is bombed to rubble, initially by Assad if they happened to live in a rebel held area, then by Russians, in other areas by ISIL and unfortunately, sometimes by the 'allies' in error. Their jobs are gone, there is hardly any food - there was a drought before all this started which saw rural people swarming into the cities and the lack of help by the government is what fed the rebel movement, The remaining hospitals are running out of medicines. If you had a family and could not feed them, and were living in a bombed out house without electricity or water, or the threat of that about to happen any minute, would you sit tight, or take your family to safety? If you stay to fight whose side would you be on - the rebels, who have old almost useless weapons, if any, and little chance of success, or the government - whose troops ars ordered to use chemical weapons against their own people?
Why o why does the world stand by, the UN pass useless resolutions that are ignored, and we spend a fortune trying to deal with the aftermath instead of sending in at the very first sign of trouble, an international army to stop any dictator or cruel government from mistreating its own people? Not only is that the cheapest option it is the most humane. Get rid of the veto and give the UN some teeth.
One family in Thurs night's program did go back, but regretted it when they got there.
Those in Jordan are lucky compared to Lebanon, from what I hear, where the refugees outnumber the population.
The program was sad on many levels not least because it seems they are resigned to it becoming a long term prospect.