Anytime I hear news relating to Syria, I brace myself and attempt not to cringe. They are always reports of devastation, violence, displaced refugees and a failed foreign policy. Almost 200,000 Syrian people have been killed since conflict erupted in 2011, and more than 9 million people have been forced from their homes.
Recently, Syrian armed forces have been dropping barrel bombs on rebel-held areas that are also occupied by civilians.
Syrian President Bashar Assad, however, claims it is “childish” to suggest the Syrian government has been dropping bombs where it knows civilians are located.
But let us not forget the alleged chemical attacks carried out by the Syrian government in 2013, resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent lives. President Assad simply blamed the rebels. And rising powers of jihadist groups such as the Islamic State are only ?causing further turmoil.
But among the rubble of destruction and hopelessness, there are people on the ground taking action. They are called the White ?Helmets.
Unpaid and unarmed, this Syrian Civil Defense group rushes in to aid civilian areas that have been hit by barrel bombs. Scores of these bombs packed with nails, shrapnel and explosives are dropped on Syrian neighborhoods each day.
Wearing simple white construction helmets, these men and women are volunteers risking their lives to save others.
It seems as though their efforts have been successful. Since they began in 2013, these humanitarians have saved more than 12,500 lives. This number is steadily growing.
I cannot begin to fathom the courage and self-sacrifice that it must take for these once-normal Syrian people to rise up and put themselves in danger against attacks.
The White Helmets serve as a reminder not everyone in the Middle East has the intent of destruction. Even in the most dangerous places in the world, there is still hope. They value and save every life they can, no matter which side that person is fighting on.
“When I want to save someone’s life I don’t care if he’s an enemy or a friend. What concerns me is the soul that might die,” a White Helmets rescuer said.
Female rescuers are more important than ever. Sometimes people refuse to allow male volunteers to rescue women and girls in the more conservative parts of Syria. These women volunteers are their only hope for survival.
Despite their efforts, our foreign policy has failed. I doubt that arming rebels is the answer to solving this horrifically complex and ?enduring issue.
“We can only ease the suffering of our people,” White Helmets Chief ?Raed Saleh said.
But now, he says it’s up to the international community to end it. And I couldn’t agree more.
President Obama and other world leaders need to focus their efforts toward providing relief for Syrian refugees. So many of the displaced youths are living without any schooling. They will grow up to be uneducated and unable to carry out the lives they truly deserve.
Let us cease to look at Syria as a lost cause or an “over there” problem. I believe we should build schools for the displaced and aid the White Helmets in their efforts to save those who cannot help themselves.
These people have ?sacrificed so much already.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
