HUMANITARIAN ISSUES IN SYRIA

Five countries of Asia had an unwanted and irregular change of guard in the last three and a half years.Three of them happen to be Islamic.Change began with Myanmar, thereafter, in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and was followed by Bangladesh and Syria.The last one came in the grip of rebels active in civil war from 2017 onwards.Several persons were found missing, many were interrogated and tortured and the surviving lot, bereft of fufilment of basic needs, are bearing the brunt.Accordingly, umpteen humanitarian issues have surfaced with the change of regimes in all these countries.

Humanitarian Approach & Principles

A humanitarian is concerned with improving welfare and happiness of people. He/she works for making the lives of people better and sees to it that suffering is reduced to the extent possible. Humanitarian principles are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.These assume importance both during armed conflicts and natural calamities.In general, following problems crop up: shortage of drinking water, spike in price of food grains leading to food insecurity, unsafe sanitation, water borne diseases, malnutrition and damage & destruction of schools. Schools may be also occupied for other purposes.

Syria

The country is grappling with the aftermath of multiple earth quakes in 2023 and years of internal conflict. Further, due to internal displacement, families are invariably forced to move to safer places.

As Syria was a harsh Police state, thousands of political prisoners were held during five decades of authoritarian rule of Assad family. Imprisonment not only troubled and raised anxiety levels of the person concerned but also multiplied the miseries of families.

Many of the families would be kept in dark about locations of their arrested or imprisoned kith and kin. Perpetual conflict in Syria has caused the largest refugee and displacement crisis impacting millions of people. Approximately half of country’s population is displaced with an estimated 16.7 million people needing aid. If one talks about children, around 7.5 million need humanitarian assistance owing to worsening economic crisis, mass displacement and devastated public infrastructure.

In Myanmar, Army seized power in 2021 after ousting democratically elected Government of NLD party, spearheaded by Aung San Suu Kyi, its General Secretary. People came out in open to express their strong protest.Those who spoke against Army were ruthlessly crushed or killed. To escape the wrath of military, many preferred living in India as refugees.

In Afghanistan,Talibans returned to power after abject surrender on15th August, 2021 by the forces of President Ashraf Ghani, who flew to one central Asian country. Here also individuals, part and parcel or supporters of Ghani regime were either eliminated or put behind bar. People in general were also compelled to observe an Islamic code. Women turned out to be worst sufferers from job and family angles.

In Sri Lanka, in the backdrop of movement by the majority of population, including monks, acute shortage of essential commodities took place.There were reports of atrocities by Police and Army. President Gotabaya Rajapaksha was compelled to resign and leave the country.Several houses were burnt by uncontrollable mob.A large chunk of population had to survive with only one meal a day for atleast two months as administrators had brought the country on the verge of bankruptcy.

Similar was the fate of elected PM Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh who took shelter in India consequent upon a semi-violent movement against reservations piloted by students and supported by fundamentalists. Minorities, notably Hindus were targeted and denied rights available to majority community. Thousands of them were killed. Temples and minority institutions were also attacked all over.

Syrian President Flight To Russia

President Bashar al-Assad left for Moscow very early on 8th December and got asylum immediately, which appeared to be a pre- arranged affair. It was prior to entry of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants into Damascus. HTS, an Islamist, political and para military organisation has been involved in a civil war since 2017.

Like any other dignitary in such situations, Assad did not divulge his escape to anyone, not even to his own brother, a top Army officer. It affected his close associates and two maternal cousins. After being ambushed on the way to Lebanon, one was shot dead by rebels while second one was wounded.

In his first statement from Moscow on 16th December, Assad has denounced the country’s new leaders as terrorists.

HTS, remains classified as a terrorist organisation by U.S., U.K.,Canada, UNO, E.U. and others.In a cruel act, Sunni Islami fighters ostensibly backed by HTS, have torched Hafez al Assad’s mausoleum in Qardaha, Assad’s home town.

In view of HTS having the support of Islamic State (IS) and some other outfits, IS has recently killed 54 soldiers loyal to Bashir al Assad in Sukhna area of Homs town. Apparently, they were fleeing from Syria.

GRIM HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Cases Of Missing Syrians

During the long reign of Assad a large number of innocent people would be picked up by security forces without informing their family members, taken to interrogation centres and would be eliminated then or there.Those who survived would be jailed for an unspecified period. By any chance if family members reached such dreaded jails, no one would divulge any information. Fall of Assad, therefore, has given tremendous hope to families of missing individuals.

Now that people in general are breathing in fresh air, renewed search operations, purely at individual level have taken off. People after gathering courage, have begun digging graves located in several places. According to BBC, in one big grave a few white body bags were found which bore names of dead persons and a number of Jail.Three such bags were seen. Each of them contained skull and human bones. Further, scribbled words indicated that those were the remains of two women prisoners and a man.

Harassed and devastated mother of Mahmud Sayed Hussain is looking for his whereabouts for eleven years. She has been to several jails but of no avail.

Similarly, one Khalid’s two brothers-Jihad and Hussain were found missing. Khalid is searching continuously for them in different jails. He feels they were apprehended by the notorious intelligence wing of Air Force. He further mentions that some people were taken to an area called ‘Driving School’ and possibly all were murdered. He suspects that his two brothers may have met similar same fate.

Human Rights Watch, an NGO is also investigating such bags which may have contained dead bodies. A very notorious and inhuman modus operandi was that anybody found moving through a particular area would be stopped, his face would be covered with a polythene bag and he would be removed to an unknown destination. Such persons would be confined to a notorious prison or interrogation centre or Majeh Air Base. In one such centre, the arrested were kept tied and would be connected to electric wires. They would be administered shocks every now and then. Due to such third degree methods, the arrested person would confess and concede whatever the security officer wanted / desired.

Rape Of Women

In another place 400 women were reportedly raped and whosoever conceived, their deliveries would be arranged within the detention premises.Imagine compromising with hygiene and sanitation in addition to unexpressed mental trauma.In some places photographs of prisioners / detainees would be mixed and rummaged which will make identification by family members a herculean task. Important records of interrogation centres and jails are now being destroyed by loyalists of Assad regime. These malpractices clearly speak of intent to destroy evidence, tyranny and overall unkind approach of rulers.

Displacement of People

According to United Nations, humanitarian situation in Syria remains chaotic, volatile and fluid with more than 16 million people needing assistance.

The Office of UN For Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on 9th December that one million people were displaced from their homes in West and North West Syria alone during the period 28 November to 8 December. According to an estimate, around 6% of the displaced are living with atleast one form of disability.Recently displaced were women and children from Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Idib Governorates.

Return of Syrians

Some refugees were eager to return home while others are hesitant as situation in the country was very uncertain. However, OCHA has reported that more than 220,000 people had returned to Syria. In addition, in 250 centres, over thousand displaced people were staying. Further, since December 8, Lebanon had recorded less than 10,000 Syrian refugees returning from Lebanon to Syria.

On the other hand, the U.N. Refugee Agency has reported that 30,000 displaced persons had also returned from Syria to Lebanon.

Challenges observed are:

Disruption of transport routes and looting of civilian property, factories and aid warehouses in Damascus has been reported.But North West Syria was relatively calm.

Despite such constrains, emergency aid was being provided as three border crossings from Turkey side remained open for delivering aid. 46 numbers of trucks carrying U.N.aid and food had crossed into different parts of country.

In Aleppo town, basic assistance including food, water, health and nutrition services was being given. Major hospitals, nonetheless, were operating at limited capacity owing to shortage of staff, supplies and medicines. However, health personnel are still feeling unsafe. Critical services in impacted areas was also being provided.In North West Syria, 24 health facilities have resumed services.

Health & Other Assistance

UNICEF and UNFPA have deployed 16 mobile medical teams and fixed clinics. In addition, UNPF and WHO are also distributing health, surgical & trauma kits to various hospitals. Further, WFP has observed and reported that food grain prices were on the rise across the country which may make matters worse for the citizens. It has come to notice that in the last two weeks, more than 20 partners of U.N. had delivered food to more than 590,000 people in North West Syria. But question arises how long international aid will support the people? There has to be proactive initiative also on the part of provincial heads and those having access to suffering
masses.

Role Of UNICEF

UNICEF has begun working to protect children and to enable them to cope with the impact of conflict so that they recover from trauma.The Organisation is also making available safe drinking water, vaccines, other health and nutrition items, improving school facilities, training teachers, repairing water and sanitation facilities etc.

Thus U.N. and its partners continue giving food, water, cash, tents, blankets to needy persons.Medical teams too are being deployed and supplies to health centres was being taken care of.

International Organisation For Migration has reported that a fluid situation with fluctuation movements both through formal and informal border crossings was taking place. Further, as per earlier reports Syrian border officials had abandoned their posts following takeover by HTS.

F.Grandi, U.N.High Commissioner For Refugees has indicated that Syria was at crossroads between peace and war, stability and lawlessness, reconstruction or further ruin.This world body looks determined to monitor further developments. Although the UNO has done precious little for this part of suffering world, Spokesman of the Secretary General called on donors to ensure that UNHCR and its partners have the resources to respond swiftly and effectively.

Conclusion

Hafez al Assad’s rule brought untold miseries to people.And Baser al Assad’s administration saw civil wars, brutalisation of common man, poverty & hunger, killing of people and desertion of homes.No respect for humanity was seen.A transitional government has taken over but its tenure will expire on 1st March, 2025.Logically speaking, no major public – oriented decision can be taken.Such Ad hocism may give a fresh start to multiple human miseries.

Humanitarian situation continues to be grim in Syria.UN agencies have chipped in to rescue suffering people for a short period.Even if normalcy is restored, threat perception from Israel and ripples from Gaza strip may remain. Super powers have to stop playing games at the cost of humanity.Fear and trauma of common man can be very well understood.Peace and stability would come only when minimum needs are taken care of.A greater international humanitarian aid for extended period is, therefore, called for.

(The author is former Chief Secretary of Sikkim)