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Call for the protection of Syrian women and children as the senseless war rages

When two elephants fight the grass suffers. But this time around it's not the grass but human beings especially women and children as witnessed in every crisis situation worldwide. CHRIS DNK RICHARDS analyzes the senseless killings in the Syrian civil war and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable women and children in that part of the world.

Twenty months into an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, the brutal violence in Syria shows no sign of abating. The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people have so far been killed in vicious fighting between Assad loyalists and the rebel forces, that now control roughly half of the country as well as most border posts. Tens of thousands of Syrians displaced by the fighting have sought refuge along the country’s borders, including some 100,000 in Turkey alone.

As Assad boasts to live and die in Syria, it will be recalled that more than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war began with the head of her military police Abdelaziz Jassim al-Jassim al-Shalal, defecting in blow to Assad as friends of the country recognizing rebel coalition.

While Syria has criticized France for accepting to host a new ambassador of the opposition national coalition, the UN threatened it will suspend Syria mission and withdraw a quarter of its remaining 100 staff in the area.

And amid mounting international warnings about Syria’s chemical weapons threat, reports say Israeli special forces are operating inside Syria to track its chemical weapons stocks even as the US issues new warning on Syrian chemical weapons. 

Though Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev says Assad’s chances of staying in power is waning while France’s Pen condemns the West for blindly aiding the Syrian 22 month’s war.

It is pertinent here to point out that the international intrigues, politicizing and passing of bucks in the current Syrian problems should be watched at least for the sake of the vulnerable and innocent women and children who are dying daily as result of the crisis as it could happen to any country. 

Genuine and concerted efforts should be made to liberate the innocent Syrian people from their present shackles of living and depression the people have for the past 22 months have been engulfed with for global peace to reign once again in that part of the world. After-all, they are human being like us mostly when noting that the crisis in Syria will definitely affect adversely her neighbours in all their socio-economic and political spheres. 

It will recalled that the rising tensions between Damascus and Ankara sparked fears of a regional conflict, with Syrian and Turkish forces exchanging fire in October last year. The tension also spilled over into neighbouring Lebanon, where street clashes erupted between pro-and anti-Damascus gunmen, as Russia and China were ready to veto any UN resolution that calls for stricter sanctions on the Assad regime, while the international community were divided on how to resolve the escalating Syrian crisis.

The conflict had since forced thousands of Syrians to flee to Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and surrounding countries as fears are growing daily for Syrian children and families hit by the freezing winter weather, with huge funding shortages which endangered relief operations in the region. Report say some children are huddling three to a blanket, sleeping in makeshift shelters made of billboards and falling sick as temperatures plunge in the region.

And in response to the Syrian refugees’ needs in neighboring Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, an organization known as Save the Children on the ground, took it upon itself to provide warm clothes, shoes and blankets for children as well as other winter aid packages specially-made for infants. We are prepared to respond in Syria as soon as the situation allows, the organization said.

Children need your generous gift to support our efforts. Your support will help us protect vulnerable children and provide needed reliefs to families, it pleaded.

It called for donation to the Syria children in crisis fund to support the save the children’s responses to the urgent needs caused by the conflict.

To this end, it is gathered that UNICEF is deeply concerned over the continued suffering of children caught in the crisis in Syria, and is calling for additional funds to address the needs of Syrian children now sheltering in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

At a meeting in Geneva, of the Syria Humanitarian Forum, UNICEF Deputy Director of Emergency Programs, Dermot Carty, said children and young people account for 50% of all refugees crossing into Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

“UNICEF is extremely concerned by reports from interviews with children and parents on the ground that the majority of children are traumatized and experiencing signs of grave distress,” said Carty. “We call on all parties involved to protect children from the physical and emotional consequences of violence and displacement.”

Carty stressed UNICEF’s support for the regional response plan led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Carty also stressed that with the continued influx of refugees to these countries, more funding was urgently needed.

Since the launch of the regional response plan last March, it is gathered that UNICEF has received less than $1.5 million of the $7.4 million it required for its humanitarian operation in the war-torn Syria.

UNICEF said it has saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in more than 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States.

UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide. Accordingly we learnt there has been substantial progress as the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from more than 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010. However, reports say about 21,000 children still die each day from preventable causes. 

But the UNICEF’s mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials of life for a safe and healthy childhood.