Saturday will mark the third anniversary of the start of the conflict in Syria. For me, Syria has been a big part of my working and personal life this week and for the last few years. In my day job we’ve been working with the US and others on ways to secure better access into Syria for humanitarian assistance. More than 3.5 million people are living in areas of Syria that are difficult for UN agencies and their partners to access. The recent agreement of UN Security Council resolution 2139 offers the potential to get more food and other essential supplies into the country. We need to make the most of this opportunity to help ease the suffering of the Syrian people caught-up in the conflict.
There has been a strong global campaign to raise awareness in advance of the anniversary. Last night, vigils were held at sunset in more than 40 countries. 115 humanitarian and human rights groups joined Syrian voices in demanding immediate action to ensure Syrians in need can access aid. You can watch the campaign video here and visit the campaign website here.
Washington’s vigil included speeches near the Capitol building by a Syrian activist and two Members of Congress, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. A young girl then released a red balloon into the sky, a symbol of the conflict that British artist Banksy has utilized in this print, which will be projected on icons around the world on Saturday. A few of us from the Embassy participated. It was only disappointing that the bitter cold kept attendance numbers down. But this was in the same location where more than a million people attended President Obama’s first inauguration, also on a bitterly cold day. The contrast with the hope of that occasion and the sense of futility and weariness that pervades the Syria crisis was striking.
The online publicity campaign this week has been very effective. I know it has personally made me stop and think about Syria and my own life. Three years… My daughter has just celebrated her third birthday. Three happy years. And for her birthday we made a little video birthday with highlights of the last year – filled with fun, laughter and love. Save the Children cleverly incorporated this trend for home movies with a YouTube video showing a year in the life of a little girl in London. But unlike my daughter, her year is dominated by the experiences that children in Syria have faced – bombing, uncertainty, loss. It’s a stark reminder of how the conflict is affecting the innocent, and a reminder that it could easily be us. 25.7 million people have now seen the video.
But what can we do? It’s hard to see progress until there is a shift in the complex politics underpinning the conflict, and people in the US and the UK understandably have no appetite for the more interventionist approaches which might change the political dynamics. I’m increasingly feeling that it is easy and convenient to write off the conflict as simply too difficult. The more honest response is surely to understand that it is precisely because this is difficult that it needs more attention. As citizens we can’t solve this on our own, but we can stand with the innocent Syrians and we can collectively raise our voices to say this is wrong.