6 Ways You Can Help The People Of Syria.
With the recent chemical attack in Syria, every day I notice more and more people participating on social media about the devastating crisis that is happening in Syria
People are commenting heart emoji's on videos of children in hospitals, people sharing articles on Facebook about a child's life that was taken too soon, or people making witty comments about Trump's Travel Ban.
My Facebook has become an array of articles about children who are in desperate need of medical help, families fighting for their safety, and people in dire need of aid.
And with every article, photo or video comes with a display of likes, shares and comments, as a way of showing their support to those in distress. Commenting with prayers and ‘reacting' to articles with a heart to show that they care.
But I can't help think that social media has become a place where people can ‘like' an article to show their support and that they care, and then just go onto to tag their friends in a meme, or read an article about "20 TV shows you can binge this weekend."
We forget that these people are suffering as soon as they're out of mainstream media, and we go back to our day to day lives of ordering almond milk cappuccinos and watching the Real Housewives of Sydney. And I admit I am guilty of it too. It's so easy to forget that this the daily reality for the people of Syria. That there are children who have never known there to be a day without war or conflict.
Social media allows us to feel like we participated, but at the same time do nothing at all. Our participation on social media isn't enough. Commenting our support on articles, videos and photos is a kind and heart-warming gesture, but we need to do more.
People are sick, dying and in danger. Our likes and comments can only go so far on Facebook; we can't heal a nation by sharing an article.
What can I do then? You might be asking. Here are six ways you can help:
Sign this petition asking world leaders to provide children in crisis or emergencies with education.
Children around the world who are growing up in conflict and disaster are usually also accosted of their education. These children want to learn and go to school, but rarely have the opportunity. Global Citizen is helping remind world leaders that these children deserve an education, pushing for them to support education in emergencies.
Save the Children is currently providing children in Syria with lifesaving services and supplies while making sure they're safe, cared for and receiving an education.
The Syrian American Medical Society is a non-profit medical relief organisation working on the front line of the crisis in Syria. They provide medical care for people in Syria and neighbouring countries that are affected by the conflict. They've provided more than 90,000 surgeries for those who needed them, with the total medical services provided at a staggering 2,627,380.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is providing people in Syria with food and life-saving services and is one of the few organisations that is providing services in areas that are hard to reach.
The White Helmets provide rescue services to those affected by bombings, recovering people from collapsed buildings and carrying them to safety. These are ordinary people like you and I, who are giving everything they can to help people affected by bombings. You can donate to the White Helmets to help replenish their rescue equipment, and provide them with more life-saving services, such as ambulances, first aid kits and diggers.
Doctors Without Borders provide on the ground medical help to those in the area of Aleppo, which has been a centre for some of the most horrific war scenes. Doctors Without Borders also provides vaccinations, emergency assistance, supplies to hospitals in Syria and so much more. You can read about what they're doing in Syria here
