Opposition leader Simon Busuttil says that “the EU will not continue to look like a political giant, but political dwarf” in a bid for greater integration in foreign and security policy at EU level.
This week the world was shaken by the atrocities that happened in Aleppo, Syria due to the four-year war that has been going on since March 2011. As thousands innocent civilians die on the streets of Aleppo, people worldwide feel helpless as they watch of Syrian bloggers upload videos of their last messages on social media.
The war in Syria has become an international mess. What started as civilian protests against Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president who has been in power for the past sixteen years, has now become a base for the great powers to exert military force against each other. Russia and China have voted against most of UN’s attempts to impose sanctions against Syria, whilst the US and allies have launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria. This war is best described by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem called it a war on terror. In sum, there are four main factions of fighting groups throughout the country: Kurdish forces, ISIS, the Assad regime and other oppositions (such as Jaish al Fateh). (CNN News)
Internationally, states are showing their sympathy for the crisis in Aleppo. For example, Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower went dark on December 14 in a show of solidarity for the people in Aleppo. Obama made a speech on December 16, stating that he feel personally responsible for what is going on right now in Aleppo, yet it was not the position of the US to have its military intervene to stop the four fighting groups in Syria.
However, you may ask what are the Maltese doing in order to raise awareness on this crisis? And do we have an influence in what goes on in Aleppo, somewhere that is more than 3,000 kilometers away from us? When contacted for a comment, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil recognised that there is not enough being done by the European Union in order to aid the civilians that are suffering in Syria. In a statement, he said that “As Europeans, we should be particularly disappointed that, at EU level, no support was found to act decisively. As a result this was yet another case where the EU ended up looking powerless, leaving the initiative to other world players.” Such allegations against the EU’s lack of action was echoed by Roberta Metsola, as she stated that “The EU has a role to play in re-energising the cause for peace in the region and to do what they can to allow immediate humanitarian aid access and ensure the safety of civilians.” The Prime Minister was also contacted for comment, yet one was not given at the time of writing.
In order for you, reader, to help Syrian victims, you can donate to any one of these charities that are carrying out humanitarian work in Aleppo, giving the civilians the aid that they so desperately need.
- The White helmets
- International Rescue Committee
- Hand in Hand for Syria
- International Committee for the Red Cross
- Save the Children
This civil war is one of the gravest that the world has faced, due to the disregard for the rights of the Syrian people. As of December 2016, 4.81 million Syrians have fled the country and 6.3 million people are displaced internally. It is important that the world rises up and joins forces so that such cruelties can come to the end, and never repeated.
