Today, while I write this, I hear the noise of cutting trees, and it’s definitely giving me a hard time to think, focus, and write. But the piece I’m working on is pushing me forward to focus regardless of the disturbing noise. I can simply wear noise-canceling headphones and get back to work, but what about the Syrian children fighting for their futures? How can they cancel the noise of explosions?
The civil war has taxed children’s lives for more than 10 years, and it is a humanitarian nightmare. War is already unpleasant, and to think that it has succumbed millions of children’s lives is devastating. Since 2011, around 4 million babies have been born, and they have never come out of the picture of war, desperation, explosion, and violence. The term “peace” has not even entered their vocabulary. Over 2.5 million children in Syria are registered refugees, and around 900,000 have not experienced formal education.
In a Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) says, “The seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim male and Muslim female.”
But the war has destroyed their chance to secure proper education, and it’s breaking my heart. Around 2.6 million Syrian children are experiencing forcible displacement, and about 2 million have no school access. Syria’s poverty line is extremely high that it has led to child marriage and child labor.
Now, let’s walk in the shoes of Syrian children for a few minutes:
Their Birth is Shaded with Fear
Syrian parents fear the birth of their baby even before they are born. They take possible measures to protect their unborn child. Some mothers consider early Cesarean delivery not to risk birthing the child while trying to escape from a war zone.
This makes me wonder about the things we worry when birthing a child. Last month, my cousin birthed a baby boy, and she was very cautious to select white dresses for the newborn instead of purchasing gender-based colors that have become a norm in Asian countries. When writing this, I’m emotionally down because rather than feeling blessed, I’m guilty that one part of the world is deprived of –safety!
A Syrian mother’s sufferings don’t end there; she’d worry about the food because a mom needs enough nutrients to keep the baby healthy. From accessing a hospital to finding solace from a loved one becomes a challenging task.
When a baby is born, it’s impossible to ensure that he will be pampered and cared for by grandparents like in other parts of the world. In Syria, birthing a child isn’t bliss rather a risk! A horrendous post published on Human Rights Watch takes us through several levels of difficulties that Syrian children undergo.
They Don’t Know What “Being Safe” Feels Like
Syrian children in the war zone are not aware of the term “safe.” Their homes, their schools, and hospitals are vulnerable. There are various reasons for the Syrian children to be afraid, and one of them is they never know how they may get killed. It could be an airstrike or cluster bomb.
Or worse –they could go back to an empty home because their parent could have been killed while they were at school. They are forced to understand siege, cluster bomb, and other war terms. They are educated on survival tips to protect themselves when there’s an explosion in the neighborhood.
What are we educating our kids on? What are our dinner table discussions on a Sunday night? Aren’t those the total opposite of the Syrian lifestyle? But this is not to feel bad about what you have but to keep your kids and family members informed about the things that are happening around the world. Let them know that Syrian Muslims are suffering, and they need to be in our supplication. They deserve a place in our dua.
A UNICEF post titled “After nine years of conflict, children continue to pay the heaviest price,” shares details that every one of us must know about. You wouldn’t regret spending a few minutes reading it.
They Experience Hunger on a Daily Basis
While experiencing hunger is not a regular thing for us, Syrian children face it on a daily basis. They wait until people worldwide donate them rations to satisfy their hunger.
Although we prep a week’s meal plan, the other end of the world is waiting for their next meal to arrive from a donor. If you like to be one of their donors to fulfill their hunger, you can donate here.
They’d have to wait until they are fed again; till then, they’d be weak and sick. According to stats, out of 100 Syrian children, around 83 are in poverty. The mother cannot breastfeed because she’s not strong enough to do so she’d have to look at her children grow up weaker.
28% of Syrian children don’t have proper growth due to malnourishment. These kids are always tired, and they don’t have a healthy body. Syrian parents suffer in silence because they know day by day; their children are getting closer to death because of hunger and malnutrition.
It breaks my heart to think that we have various dishes of our choices on our table while some Syrian children die from hunger.
Getting to know other people’s lives is a good reminder for us to understand the things we have taken for granted. When we talk about Syrian children more often, we’ll remember to make dua for them, and it’s one of the best things that we could do.
Their survival is questionable
According to the UN, Syria’s situation has reached terrifying new levels in the last few months. The living conditions of children are unimaginably worst. They accommodate themselves in refugee camps and other small tents with no bare essentials such as toilets or a blanket. These temporary accommodations have been the same for years, so the resources are thinning with time.
Due to low-quality accommodation, children are exposed to deadly diseases, and they have to find differences in temperature without any protection. This is disheartening give the current COVID-19 situation.
If you are willing to help financially apart from keeping them in prayers, you can donate at Syria Mother and Baby Survival Items.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Bismillahil-lazi la yadhurru ma’asmihi syai’un fil ardhi wa la fis-sama’i wa huwas-sami’ul aleem
In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in heaven, and He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing
