For about four years there has been turmoil in the city of Aleppo. So I’m going to break down some facts about the crisis of Aleppo and how you can help.
Where is Aleppo? (This is for you, Gary Johnson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvOnXh3NN9w
Aleppo is in Syria. It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Damascus.
When did this war start and why?
The war started in 2012 as a result of the Arab Spring. Many North African and Middle Eastern countries decided to overthrow their regimes in attempts to end the dictatorship that was very prevalent in those areas. Examples of these countries and regimes are Libya and Gaddafi, and Egypt and Mubarak. The leader of Syria at that time was Bashar al-Assad, who had been holding office since 2000 and his family had been in control of the country since the early seventies. Rebel forces were beginning to wage a war on the government and tried to overthrow the regime like many other Middle Eastern governments, but the Assad regime didn’t back down and basically started a civil war. This has been going on since 2012.
How is ISIS involved?
A common misconception – ISIS is a recent and new terrorist group. NOOO! It’s not! Isis was formed in the early 2000s as a way to suppress other sects of Muslims.
Fun Fact: There are many different sects in Islam, but 80% of the Muslim world identifies as Sunni and 20% of the Muslim world identifies as Shia.
After Saddam Hussein was overthrown and killed in 2006, the Shia sect started to oppress the Sunnis like the Sunnis had done to them when Hussein was in power. Ever since then, Iraq has been divided by religion. So Saudi Arabia started to support groups like ISIS to fight countries like Iran, which also did the same. Once ISIS established themselves as an extremely violent and brutal organization, Saudi Arabia stopped supporting ISIS, but that hasn’t stopped them. In 2012 they decided to go into Iraq and conquer land to start their Islamic State and train people in their organization. They saw what going on in Syria and decided to take land from them too (which is actually pretty strategic in a evil way, because Syria is weak and has no means of protecting themselves right now.) Now the Syrian government and the rebels have to fight against ISIS, who is trying to take their land, while also fighting with each other. (You can say this is why big powers are trying to help the crisis, because the United States sure as HELL DOESN’T WANT ISIS TO KEEP GETTING STRONGER AND FORMING THEIR OWN DAMN STATE… like c’mon.)
Death Tolls?
At this moment stats like Iamsyria have stated that 450,000 people have died so far and 50,000 of these deaths have been children. This is pretty much a genocide and the majority of the people dying have been innocent civilians who have nothing to do with ISIS, the Assad regime, or the rebel groups. There are a few reasons why the death toll has been rising. First, countries don’t want to take in more refugees – for example, the United States is letting in about 10,000 people yearly from Syria, and that might change when Donald Trump becomes president. Second, all three parties have been doing random attacks. I am not for war and violence, but if you’re fighting someone, shouldn’t you just focus on your target? The Assad regime has been bombing mass areas in Aleppo where civilians are held; these areas tend to have nothing to do with rebel forces. Third, evacuations have been withheld and postponed, so it is taking longer for people to leave Aleppo.
What can you do to help?
You can donate to places like:
Syria Relief: They work to provide many life-saving essentials including food, medicine and medical care, winter provisions including warm blankets and bedding, and an orphan support program. 88.8% of your donation goes into relief. The remaining goes into raising money, and a small portion into admin.
https://www.syriarelief.org.uk/donate/?aleppo-appe...
Save The Children: They provide food and water, help repair water systems, support hospitals, help schools, and provide emotional help for children. They have helped over 500,000 children in besieged areas so far. 88% of your donation goes into relief, and the remaining goes into fundraising efforts.
https://secure.savethechildren.org.uk/donate/emerg...
Islamic Relief Worldwide: They distribute food packs, clothes and medical supplies to communities under siege within Syria and displaced people along the Turkish border. They are also running or supporting camps and providing livelihood programs, education and psychosocial support for refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. 90% of your donation goes into relief and development, and the remaining goes into delivery of relief, campaigning and generating future income.
https://donations.islamic-relief.com/? (Click Current Appeals and donate to Syria Crisis Appeal)
Karam Foundation: An NPO that develops Innovative Education programs for Syrian refugee youth, distributes Smart Aid to Syrian families, and funds Sustainable Development projects initiated by Syrians for Syrians. They distribute clothes, food, water, flour, blankets, infant formula and other basic necessities. 100% of profit goes into building programs, providing relief and sustaining development.
https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/m084arkxtho
Other Ways:
You can also do your research on this issue. Many people are making statements that are false and xenophobic and this is very harmful because the vast public doesn’t know about the history of Aleppo and Syria. This can lead to misconceptions that don’t help the people of Aleppo.
You can share articles like this so that people can be informed about Aleppo and open this topic up to more people, since the news is mainly covering election issues.
