As part of the 2017 Blogging Challenge, students from around the world write posts and complete activities about common themes. This week’s challenge is about global issues. After yesterday’s chemical weapon attack that killed at least 20 children in Syria, I needed to write about Syria’s crisis. The videos and images of children gagging and choking, and parents crying over the lifeless bodies of their babies broke my heart. Why is the world allowing this to happen?
Syria’s Civil War
In 2011, peaceful anti-government groups were squashed by violent government crackdowns, and opposition groups have been fighting the government for six years. Since then over 470,000 people have died. Not only that, but the prolonged conflict has allowed ISIS to flourish. Read more about the Syrian civil war here: Quick Facts: What You Need to Know About the Syria Crisis.
4/4/17
Yesterday morning, planes dropped bombs full of weapons in Syria. This attack was heinous; these are war crimes on civilians. I don’t understand why the global community doesn’t do more for Syria. Russia backs the Syrian President Assad and says the rebels are to blame for the nerve gas. The rebels who are fighting a corrupt government; a government that would murder its children.
A man carries a child into a makeshift hospital after Tuesday’s attack in Idlib province. (AP photo)
AND this isn’t the first time. In 2013, hundreds of civilians were killed after two chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
Bodies of victims of a suspected chemical attack on Ghouta, Syria on Wednesday, August 21, 2013. © 2013 AP Photo/Shaam News Network
Global Response
Reuters reporters write that President Trump said yesterday’s attack was “horrible” but has not announced what the U.S. will do. He also blames the Obama administration for this mess. His dilemma is “… whether to openly challenge Moscow and risk deep involvement in a Middle East war by seeking to punish Assad for using banned weapons, or compromise and accept the Syrian leader remaining in power at the risk of looking weak” (Tsvetkova). Meanwhile, “British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who two months ago shifted his country’s policy by saying Assad could be allowed to run for re-election, said on Wednesday that he must go” (Tsvetkova).
Can we stop name-calling and blaming and focus on the problem now? Too many innocent people have died! Enough is enough. Can our global powers unite? What about the U.N.? Britain changed its mind about Assad ; why can’t we all follow suit? What can we do as civilians?
Action
The following resources give ways we can help. Sadly, I can’t open my home to Syrian refugees since Syria is on the U.S. banlist, but I have used these recommendations to do what I can.
The Global Citizen gives us “15 Ways You Can Help Syrian Refugees Now.”
The Huffington Post: “Outraged About What’s Going on in Syria? Do Something About It”