After two long years of brutal civil war, it appeared that the world's inaction over the Syrian conflict had finally broken.
The killing of hundreds of civilians through the use of chemical weapons, presumably fired by the Bashar al-Assad regime's forces, had firmly crossed President Barack Obama's "red line" and captured the world's attention. After debate flared over a potential military strike, the Russian proposal that Syria turn over its chemical weapons stockpiles received widespread praise. And while the world congratulated itself for avoiding the outbreak of a larger war, the Syrian people continued to suffer just as they had for the past two years.
While the accomplishments made by the international community in recent weeks are by no means insignificant, we have still failed to address the most pressing issue of the Syrian civil war. In dealing with Syria's larger security issues, the United States and other countries have lost sight of the most important issue at stake - the overwhelming humanitarian need of the Syrian people.
It is an issue largely forgotten amongst the larger politics of the conflict in Syria. Despite this, its effects are just as devastating to the country and its people. Throughout the conflict, over six million Syrians have been forced out of their homes, and two million have left the country as refugees. Crammed into overcrowded and often underfunded camps, many refugees lack access to fundamental needs, including adequate shelter and basic medical services. The continuing influx of Syrian refugees to these camps places an ever-growing strain on their resources that will only compound these issues as the conflict drags on.
The overwhelming need of the Syrian people has not gone completely ignored. In fact, the United States has already sent over $1 billion in aid to Syria and funds several medical, sanitation and food-related missions, according to figures released by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In conjunction with a number of United Nations and non-governmental agencies, the work done by USAID has made significant progress in easing the suffering of Syrian refugees. However, if we do not expand these efforts, the ever-growing burden placed on refugee camps and other humanitarian aid programs threatens to undo this progress and compromise the security of every Syrian who flees the conflict.
The United States must now match its massive diplomatic efforts towards Syria with a renewed, wholehearted focus on the basic humanitarian needs of its citizens. We must act as an example to the world by increasing our support of USAID programs that help Syrian citizens endure the conflict, return to their homes as soon as possible and begin to rebuild their shattered country.
Some may say that international aid, especially to refugees, is hardly in the interest of the United States, or that we should spend our tax dollars on domestic issues before solving problems abroad. Admittedly, providing humanitarian aid may not topple the Assad regime, neutralize chemical weapons stockpiles or weed out the extremists in the Free Syrian Army. However, the importance of assisting the Syrian people goes far beyond mere national interest. Aiding the Syrian refugees constitutes a moral imperative on the part of the world, an imperative that it has not yet met.
It is of utmost importance that the United States fulfills this imperative, and that it assures that the basic needs of every displaced Syrian are met. By furthering our commitment to caring for those cast out by the conflict, we send a powerful message to nations around the world - that it is in the lives and futures of the Syrian people that we find our true measure of success.
--Gordon is sophomore intern at the Prindle Institue for Ethics from Carmel, Ind.
