Reeling From Dual Crises, Syria Needs More Than Just Humanitarian Aid

This article was originally published by The Hill.

This month marks 12 years since the civil war began in my homeland, Syria. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. 

Then last month, the worst earthquake in modern history struck the region. It has so far killed a combined tens of thousands of people in Syria and neighboring Turkey. It made around 1.5 million people homeless in Turkey and more than 5 million more homeless in Syria. After a dozen years of suffering, the earthquake’s toll is unimaginable. 

International headlines about the earthquake are already less frequent. I just saw the BBC run a headline about a dog rescued after 23 days under the rubble. And I am pleased for the dog. But honestly, I would like more media attention on the international response to prevent further loss of life for people in the region. President Joe Biden, in particular, can take specific steps to ensure better outcomes for the people on the ground. We need him to show more of the kind of bravery it took to sneak into Ukraine on a train overnight in February. Or worse is yet to come.

I recently talked to a friend who is in the northern part of Syria, now. In Syria, if someone passes away we have always said, “God bless his soul.” And my friend told me that in Syria, we don’t use this term anymore. Instead, we say, “he got rest from his life.” And that’s an appropriate illustration of how hard it is to live there now. This should be unacceptable to anyone in the international community.

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