Saving The Children

Syria's incendiary upheaval has created hundreds of thousands of refugees, as families flee the violence in their country.  Not simply that they, as civilians always are, caught in the cross-fire of two opposing forces, but also because they have become targets to be cowed at best, destroyed at worst, by the very government forces that they have always been reliant upon to serve their interests as citizens of the country.

Those government forces comprised mostly of a religious and ideological minority.  Which, as so often happens - particularly in the Middle East, and certainly reflective of one of Syria's former colleague-states, Iraq under Saddam Hussein with a similar Ba'ath Party governing but the religious order in reverse - saw the minority oppressing the majority population through sheer force of arms and the implementation of fear as an especial resource.

The regime's forces strenuously deny that they strafe civilian men, women and children attending funerals, waiting in long lines outside bakeries for scarce bread, or attempting to shield themselves from reprisal simply because they are of the wrong religious sect, only to see the school playgrounds their children play in, bombed.  The regime denies also taking children into custody, torturing them and returning their bodies to their families with strict instructions to say nothing.

On the other hand, the rebel forces are not averse to meting out sometimes-swift, sometimes torture-accompanied instant justice with the capture of military personnel belonging to the regime.  The rebel forces also attempt to play down the incontrovertible fact that zealous plans to destroy the regime that refused to consider their initial peaceful requests at accommodating change and inclusiveness has attracted the attention and the presence of fellow Sunnis, jihadi Islamists and al-Qaeda associates.

Who have no compunction whatever about using suicide bombing techniques in crowded squares - the better to take larger numbers of civilians and militarypersonnel alike on a journey to the other world, while the jihadists make their exalted trip to Paradise to join the plentiful virgins awaiting their breathless arrival.  And their predations, on each side, make for a dread war situation trapping civilians who, like all people, want only to be left to live their lives in peace and security.

And who, through absolute necessity, have been forced to leave their homes to seek haven elsewhere, as refugees from deadly conflict.  In Lebanon there are no official camps where the over 133,000 Syrian refugees can converge and hope for assistance.  They are forced to scramble for whatever shelter they can find; abandoned buildings, sheep sheds, chicken coops, inadequate tents.

The refugees started out renting half-decent accommodation, but soon ran out of money to dispense for that purpose, and were forced to put together makeshift shelters with any kind of materials they might happen to come across, and then hope that the winter won't be too harsh, and they'll manage somehow to acquire enough food to bring them and their children through their ordeal.  The cold and inadequate shelter and clothing make the children suffer through bouts of illnesses.

"The international community needs to match its diplomatic and security concerns with funding to help children.  Unless there is a surge of funding, thousands of children are going to spend a bitter winter without proper shelter from the cold, and many will become sick as a result", warned Justin Forsyth, Save the Children U.K.'s chief executive.

In Iraq, 60,000 Syrian refugees exist however they can endure the hardships.  Hoping that infections and disease will not threaten their children's lives, living in stark privation.  "When it rains or snows the mud comes in and soaks the mattresses.  We don't have proper fuel for heating so we use what wood we can find and the children become ill from the smoke and it hurts our lungs.  The children are always sick with flu."

Jordan is playing reluctant but needed host to 200,000 Syrians.  Their presence represents a financial burden which the country is hard put to surmount.  Jordan will not permit Syrian refugees to work and families that arrived with some financial resources are now destitute.  "We are living in terrible circumstances.  It's hard.  It's cold.  Now it's starting to rain, and the water comes inside [the sheep shed he and his five children live in now].  I cry in my heart.  I feel depressed.  It's unjust.  Is there a worse way to live than this?"

Turkey now hosts 132,290 Syrian refugees in a number of tent cities near its border with Syria. 

The country has established a special directorate to deal with the refugees, with thirteen camps comprised of tent cities sprinkled along the border.  Syrian refugees have been provided with shelter, food and security along with access to social activities, educational, religious, translation and telecommunication services.  The refugees are provided with three meals daily.

 

People on the brink of existence.