It could have been my child #SaveSyriasChildren
Much like many people, the growing, escalating, refugee crisis has been hovering in the periphery of my conscious for weeks. I’ve read articles, signed petitions and debated with my husband, family and friends/colleagues as to what we should be doing personally, as a community, as a country, politically and otherwise. There is no easy answer; and I’ve been particularly disheartened to see the articles saying we shouldn’t give any more assistance; when I’ve encountered frankly disgusting comments on Facebook suggesting that what we need to do is tighten our borders more, to close the Eurostar and Eurotunnel, or that parents were responsible for, even caused, their children’s death and suffering through greed not need or desperation.
It bothers me that it took a shocking photo of a drowned child to turn the media tide, for people to be galavanised in a way that they weren’t last week, but I also accept that is how things work sometimes. Momentum gathers, and at least now movement might start to be made. Perhaps everyone was as paralysed by apathy as I was; deeply upset but unsure what could be done in real terms to assist.
“The U.N. estimates that 7.6 million [Syrian] people are internally displaced. When you also consider refugees, more than half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, whether they still remain in the country or have escaped across the borders… the U.N. predicts there could be 4.27 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2015” {source}
This campaign, of course, is not really an answer either, but, it is something. I’ve joined together with parent bloggers across the UK to say please don’t turn a blind eye. Do something to help. Anything. Whatever you decide, don’t choose apathy. #SaveSyriasChildren.
TEXT 70008 and the word SYRIA to donate £5 | Web donations can be made here.
Save The Children’s terms and conditions can be found here.
