“It's like a terrifying nightmare that just keeps going on and on. You live everyday as if it's your last because you might die any second"
This quote is from a doctor currently living in Damascus. There is a crisis in Syria, there is no denying.
Before writing this blog post, I knew sh** was going down in
Syria, but I didn’t know to what extent and didn’t know exactly what had happened
and was happening, right now. I can tell you now: it's not good.
Over the past 3 years, over 100,000 Syrians have lost their
lives from the conflicts between forces loyal to President Assad and those
opposed to his rule. 100,000 deaths. Let that sink in.
9 million people have been forced from their homes from the
destruction of entire neighbourhoods. 9 million people affected.
It all started way back in March 2011, when teenagers who painted
revolutionary slogans on a wall were shot at by security forces, killing several.
This sparked national protests, demanding President Assad to resign. His family
has been in power since 1971.
The country eventually descended into civil war as opposition
supporters took up arms against government forces. However, the opposition
are a divided group suffering from power struggles and limited financial and
military assistance.
Both sides have committed atrocious war crimes including
torture, hostage-taking, murder and execution. There have been 27 confirmed
incidents of mass killings. There have been reports of use of chemical weapons.
UNICEF have realised that there is a risk of losing an entire
generation of the children of Syria through these horrific conflicts.
5,090,000 children are currently living in dire situations
inside Syria: suffering poverty, displacement and some caught in the lines of fire.
1,654,544 children of Syria now live as refugees in Lebanon,
Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt and other countries in North Africa.
The youngest children are confused and scared by their
experiences, lacking the sense of safety and home they need. The older children
are forced to grow up too fast, finding work and taking care of their family in
desperate circumstances. Below is Mohammad's story; 12 years old and already working 12 hour days.
Not all hope is lost; UNICEF are working hard on their #ChildrenofSyria
campaign. Some of the projects they have done include supporting school clubs,
driving polio immunisation, giving psychosocial support as well as providing
humanitarian aid where it is needed.
So that is where our £170.81 went to from our bake sale last week!
An extremely worthy cause.
If you want to find out any more about the #ChildrenofSyria
campaign, look at the microsite on it here: http://childrenofsyria.info/
If you want to send a message to prevent a lost generation,
you can do so here: http://childrenofsyria.info/add-your-voice/
And if you want to donate some money towards the campaign,
click here: http://www.supportunicef.org/site/c.dvKUI9OWInJ6H/b.8298561/k.555F/Donate_to_help_the_children_of_Syria.htm
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