SYRIA

SYRIA| THOUSANDS ARE DROWNING ON THE DOOR STEPS OF THE WEALTHY

The walls start shaking. Your ears start ringing. Fists are pounding on the door and the air is filled with screams. The adrenaline pumping through you is suffocating. You find it hard to see or even breathe. Gunshots sound like fireworks in the distance. In an instant you realise, if you don’t run now you’ll be taken. If you’re taken you’ll be raped, tortured and sold or killed. You grab your children. You run. The phone lines are down. You don’t know where your friends are or if they’re safe. You don’t know if your parents are ok and you know your grandparents won’t be able to run. But you run. 

You run for your life. 

Syria, a Middle Eastern country, is situated between the boarders of Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. It is estimated to have a population of roughly 22 million and due to conflict and devastation, approximately 5,000 flee Syria every day. Syria's population is made up of many refugees from other countries. In 2012, it was estimated that 1.8 million refugees in the country were from Iraq, most of whom were displaced during the Iraq war. Syria has also been home to large groups of Palestinians (540,000) and Armenians (130,000). However, things are very different today, with the country in turmoil and Syrian’s are now the ones to flee their homes.  Syria is experiencing the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today. As of March 2015, more than half OF ALL Syrians have been forced to flee their homes, with 7.6 million people displaced within Syria and 3.9 million people living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Can you imagine HALF of Australians had been forced to FLEE their homes, not just leave for a holiday, but FLEE in fear of their lives? There is no doubt that someone you knew or loved would be one of those people. War does not discriminate and with all humanitarian emergencies, women and girls are among the most vulnerable. 

Nearly half a million Syrian women, including refugees and those still in Syria, are pregnant and in need of maternal care. Seventy-five percent of Syrian refugees are women and children, and 716,492 are women and girls of reproductive age. There are several known health risks that women and girls face in conflict and displacement settings. First, armed conflict disrupts access to essential services and distribution of health care, which includes the provision of women’s health care. Prolonged emergencies can weaken health systems, with long-lasting effect on women’s health care. Second, aspects of women’s health that suffer in war, conflict and displacement include access to family planning, safe motherhood, sexual and gender-based violence and disproportionate risk for STDs, including HIV. Female refugees and displaced women are at daily risk of safety and security as well as sexual, physical and mental abuses as they attempt to survive.

“It is sickening to see thousands of refugees drowning on the doorstep of the world's wealthiest continent. No one risks the lives of their children in this way except out of utter desperation”. Jolie on the recent drownings of the migrants fleeing to Europe

Are you feeling grateful? You should. Are you feeling guilty? You shouldn't. We cannot change where we are born. But we can change what happens when we are. You should continue to read, learn and educate yourself. Commit to it, because it is people who change the world. 

#tendaystotellme #tellmeaboutSyria