TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Regardless of who wins or loses the war in Syria that has been going on for more than five years, the one who is suffering the most is its civilian population. The war has so far claimed 500,000 lives and forced 11 million people to seek refuge both in and outside the country.
Aleppo, once a prosperous trading town, is now reduced to what looks like a gigantic graveyard under piles and piles of debris from destroyed buildings. Claims that President Bashar al-Assad's government has taken control of the city managed to temporarily halt the shower of bombs last week, but not likely to end the war any day soon. Rebel soldiers' posts scattered across the city are still standing and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS elements are still roaming free in the western region. The government troops do not hesitate to act brutally even in the wake of the ceasefire.
Going down in history as one of the world's deadliest civil wars, the armed conflict in Syria began in 2011 right after the birth of the Arab Spring which saw a wave of anti-government protests in many parts of the Middle East demanding transparency, clean governments and the guarantee for civil rights. But those in Syria were forcibly muffled by the ruling regime.
Over the course of six months, President Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, brutally quelled the Aleppo uprising. They occupied the city, cut the food aid and destroyed schools and hospitals killing many civilians including women and children like flies. The bombing of the rebel headquarters in the east of Aleppo which killed 82 civilians including children has been described as a war crime.
Woes heightened as nations claiming to be 'helping' were preoccupied with saving their own interests. Russia, for example, was concerned with its Middle East military base in Tartus, Syria. The base is critical given the leverage it gives to counterbalance the US's power in the region. Likewise, it was not for humanitarian reasons that Iran offered help to the Al-Assad regime, but rather because of its need to secure a foothold in Syria, so it can stay geopolitically ahead of Arab countries supporting Syria's opposition.
Consequently, civilians suffered like the trampled grass under two fighting elephants. Taking refuge in the government-controlled areas had equal risks as fleeing to the rebel zone. The situation got increasingly frustrating as the powerless UN, whose main responsibility is to maintain world peace, has clearly failed to issue a resolution to stop the war. Russia having the veto as a member of the UN's Security Council, has shot shown any resolution attempt.
When a world organization such as the UN, which is supposed to ensure the world peace is restricted by Security Council members' vetoes, we have nothing left but to place our hope in volunteer networks and international rescue organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to help war victims. But alas, even the relief work of these organizations and networks are also threatened, undermined or even blocked.
The international community, including Indonesia, must double its assistance to Syrian civilians through the humanitarian channel as there is little political will from parties involved to diffuse the conflict in Syria. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
