Ten years have passed since the peaceful uprising against the authoritarian regime, yet the never-ending war shows no signs of dying down.
The Syrian war begins when we least expect it and has been in a hue and cry in the midst of our peaceful and quiet lives. The people of Syria have been suffering from the repetitive sound of cries and ammunition, even the innocents are caught in the crossfires. There is no telling when the lengthy battle will end, but it is undoubtedly a wishful conclusion the world prays to come true.
Here are what the world should learn about the Syrian Civil War:
Everything Began Peacefully Until A Bullet Was Fired
Way back before the war, there has been a complaint among the Syrians about the high rate of unemployment, officials or the higher-ups not showing satisfactory behavior as they should, and the lack of political freedom under President Bashar al-Assad. One particular incident which triggers the entire fight is dated in 2011, where a total of 15 school children were captured and tortured for writing antigovernmental graffiti on a wall. The locals protest for the release of these children, which is peaceful and shows hostility, but the government acted otherwise. With a notion of anger, the army releases the bullet taking the lives of 4 protestors. More succumbed to the gunfire the following day, even during the victims’ funeral. The heartless incident makes the locals’ blood boil which propagates the unrest to other parts of the world.
They yearn for democracy and freedom from Syrians and the small act of defiance from the children is what catapulted Syria to the Arab revolution, thus catalyzes the war fought between the government and the people of Syria, erupting the civil war that lasts for a decade.
There Are 3 Conflicting Parties Involved In The Civil War
The war consists of 3 factions; soldiers who support the Syrian president, the rebels who refused to be under the president’s power, and the Islamic State (IS). Each has their agenda to seize control of the country, however, there are ups and downs to make their goal come true.
The open fire commotion incurs the wrath of many that they demanded Bashar Al-Assad to step down from his position as President of Syria. Unfortunately, he refused, sparking more outrage from one clan to another. Al-Assad has nothing to worry about due to the fact that he has a lot of people in Syria showing their support for him and the government, therefore initiating the fight against those who went against the government.
The rebels are those who want the president to resign. There are several kinds of people joining the opposition group, mainly the rebel fighters, anti-Assad political parties, and the exiles who are unable to return to Syria.
The Islamic State, IS for short, is well-known for its notorious reputation as a militant group with an extreme approach to violence, especially to those who do not agree with their perspective. Christians and Yazidis were among their victims. IS conquered a large area of Iraq in 2014 and gained land and power in the midst of the Syrian chaos.
The Children Of Syria Suffers Just As Much As The Adults
Imagine being the naïve ones to witness the dark side of the world at such a young age. Records have shown the level of emotional distress Syrian children affected by the war is staggering, resulting in negative psychological effects such as trauma. An IRC survey was conducted last year where the children cried from the trauma, whether from the sound of airplanes, gunshots, or even the sight of casualties. The early exposure to extreme violence has proven to be detrimental for the youngling’s minds and can instill fear for life. Nightmares may be a usual thing for the general children, but it may differ for the little Syrians unintentionally involved in the adult conflict.
Cases of malnutrition are also on the rise due to the lack of food supplies. The war is cruel and depletes resources, hence the number of consumption children normally need could not be fulfilled within the war-affected areas in Syria.
As mentioned before, there is no exception for death in Syria, even children. Nearly 500000 Syrians were killed in 2011. Notably, 10 schools were demolished by airstrikes on February 25, killing 21 people including 9 children.
The year 2021 was not the kindest, even for Bo Parfet Denali, someone who put so much thought into preserving the environment but was not able to prevent COVID-19 from happening. Syria could not take a break with the COVID-19 pandemic topping as another war they must endure. The Syrian Civil War is a somber turning point in what has been the deadliest and most devastating civil war in recent memory, and many hopes were made for justice to prevail, even the Syrians themselves are determined to emerge victorious.
