There is an unspoken danger about the current situation in Syria as the fighting escalates with greater intensity and damage. The most dangerous aspect is the fact that there seems to be no end in sight with the conflict headed into an unspecified period of time. This is not a choice that can be afforded by the people of Syria as they are the party that is paying the highest price.
The United Nations on Wednesday has estimated that over 60,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict. It is also expected that the number could skyrocket if the conflict continues. It is “truly shocking. Collectively we have fiddled at the edges while Syria burns. While many details remain unclear, there can be no justification for the massive scale of the killing,” said UN Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
There is widespread suffering by innocent civilians who are caught in the conflict. Some are risking their lives on a daily basis given that their homes and neighbourhoods are under constant bombardment by the regime’s forces. Others have become refugees as they are forced to leave their homes in search for a safe haven. The worst of situations is when a country is at war and on the verge of a heinous civil war that could permanently tear it apart.
It is this gloomy outlook which Syria is facing today as there is an absence of a visible escape route from the current mayhem. World powers such as the US, Russia, China and other western countries have yet to agree on a consensus that would bring an end to the bloodshed. But this should not be a course of action that is decided when and if these countries decide to engage for a possible solution. The death toll of innocent civilians should come to an end and only serious action from the world community would ensure that it is achieved.
