SYRIAN CRISIS

“Do not humiliate the Syrian people!” was the first slogan used by the civilians in February 2011 in the Syrian uprising. For the first time in Syria’s history, people demanded real and concrete political and economic reforms. This Syrian uprising is a conflict between the long-serving Government headed by the President  Bashar-Al-Assad and the  civilians as well as the opposition who undertook such a drastic step due to the lack of political freedom as well as the economic difficulties. But what once started as anti-government protests has escalated into a full scale civil war. These past four years of armed conflict have displaced vast numbers of Syrians from their homes and has also led to more than 3,20,000 people losing their lives. All sides are guilty and havoc has been wrecked on more than half of Syria’s population which has been uprooted, left impoverished and trapped in hard to reach areas. It can be said that if ever an armed conflict was characterised by the absence of proportionality and distinction, Syria’s civil war tops the list.
Across Syria’s borders, its neighbouring countries, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, have been generous beyond all reasonable expectations. But after the continuance of the civil war for the past four years, they have started feeling the strain. Due to increasing social tensions in these host countries and the competition between citizens and Syrian refugees for healthcare, jobs, shelter as well as water these countries are struggling to respond to the needs of the Syrian refugees that they host today.
Most of the Syrian refugees ask for jobs and education for their children apart from the basic physical comforts of life. A job because it brings with it the dignity of earning one’s own money and being able to sustain one’s family independently; an education for their children because for them education is the sole hope for a happy future. Moreover when a child goes to school – whether it be in a bombed out building or in a refugee camp – it means a system, friends and hopefully, a compassionate teacher which can bring him/her on the road to normalcy.
For refugees living in these countries income generating activities are scarce. They usually have to depend on the informal sectors where they are employed as casual, irregular and predominantly unskilled work where they are paid meagre wages to sustain themselves. However the opportunities are extremely limited and livelihood sustainability, cost of living and increasing indebtedness are coming out to be the major concerns for both the refugees as well as for the host countries.
In the host countries housing rent levels are skyrocketing and added to that are substantial increases in unemployment and depressed wage rates. Coming to the negative macro-economic impacts in the neighbouring countries there have been losses of vast magnitudes in terms of economic performance, public revenue and taxes , profits as well as cuts in growth and widening of national deficits.
Apart from the economic blows, since the beginning of the Syrian crisis human rights conditions have violently deteriorated. Arbitrary arrests and detentions, rape, harassment, other forms of sexual violence lashed out on men and women as well as children, enforced disappearances and inhumane punishments are meted out by the Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias in official and unofficial detention centres. A report by the International Rescue Committee described rape as a significant and disturbing feature of the Syrian Civil War. Many civilians have been victimised and targeted by bombs and detentions, many have lost their near and dear ones. The mental and physical well being of these people is another reason of concern added to their long list of problems.
The most important and notable attempt to restore peace in Syria was Kofi Annan’s Plan.
Kofi Annan, who was a special envoy of the UN as well as the Arab League in March 2012, had proposed to Bashar-Al-Assad a plan. Though Assad had accepted the plan but he never actually fulfilled it practically as he wanted written guarantees from the opposition protestors. Eventually, Mr. Annan resigned as the envoy for Syria in August 2012 due to the lack of unity in the UNSC as well as the reluctance of both sides to accept the agreement.
Sadly a large chunk of people throughout the world have turned indifferent on this issue. They feel it is very common to hear about many lives being destroyed, families falling apart and losing close ones. But those few concerned keep thinking about the solutions to various issues. For instance, is a foreign military intervention an effective way to solve the current crisis and will it stop the violence? Some may say a foreign military intervention in Syria may help in ending the violence but others may argue that it may bring additional problems as well. It is possible that the military intervention in Syria just like in Iraq could turn into a long-term mission with less success in restoring peace and high costs. Further an intervention like this may incense Russia, China, Iran and maybe some other countries. Moreover the political goals of the opposition parties are also uncertain. Another reason which may contribute to the unpredictability of the situation in Syria are the existing stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria. It is also known that international relations does not work along the lines of charity and moral principles. So will the help of rich countries in reconstructing this society be termed as inevitable or interfering?  These are some of the questions which the international community has to answer and, say, formulate a Marshall plan in order to stop violence and restore peace and normalcy in the Middle East as soon as possible. After all do declarations and good intentions actually help in feeding the hungry or in sheltering the refugees?

Mahima Rastogi