Sir, – Next week marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the Syria crisis, the biggest humanitarian catastrophe of our time.
The numbers of people affected by this crisis are almost too large to comprehend – an estimated 470,000 people have died, 4.6 million people have fled the conflict and are now living as refugees, while inside Syria itself more than 6 million are displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite recently improved access, many are living an insecure, tenuous existence beyond the reach of basic humanitarian assistance. Life expectancy in Syria has dropped from 70 to 55.
What began as a peaceful protest in 2011 has descended into a proxy war involving a multitude of countries. Despite numerous UN resolutions aimed at protecting civilians and bringing about an end to the violence, a number of key influential member states have been more proactive in fuelling this conflict than in attempting to stop it. War crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed against the civilian population of Syria on a daily basis.
As Irish humanitarian agencies operating on the ground, we are doing all in our power to respond to the needs of civilians trapped in this ongoing nightmare.
We would like to acknowledge the continued and essential support of both the Irish government and the Irish people in ensuring that we are reaching hundreds of thousands of affected populations.
But we can and must do more. While Europe struggles to deal with a refugee flow, Syria and its neighbouring countries – Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan in particular – are experiencing a far greater crisis. That is where the vast majority of those who have fled the conflict are located.
Ultimately, however, their suffering, and the mass exodus from Syria towards neighbouring countries and Europe, will continue until a lasting peace is found.
As a country with a long tradition of effective humanitarian response focused on those in greatest need, Ireland has a legitimate role to play in influencing the resolution of this crisis.
We call on the incoming government to use its influence and good authority to argue strongly that a sustained cessation of hostilities is given top priority at the Geneva peace talks in order to guarantee full access to populations within Syria that are in need of humanitarian assistance; to fulfil the pledged funding that Ireland has committed to and put pressure on EU member states and other donors to live up to their commitments that were made at the London Syrian conference; to build a comprehensive peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria by playing a greater role at EU, OSCE and UN level in seeking a diplomatic resolution to the Syria crisis; and to support actively and urgently the efforts to forge a common EU approach to responding to the refugee crisis.
Furthermore, we call on people in Ireland to write to members of the new Dáil calling on them to commit to these actions.
We simply cannot let this level of human suffering continue. – Yours, etc,
DOMINIC MacSORLEY,
Chief Executive,
Concern Worldwide;
BARRY ANDREWS,
Chief Executive,
Goal;
ÉAMONN MEEHAN,
Executive Director,
Trócaire.