Stop Potential Military Intervention in Syria!

Western leaders are currently considering military intervention in Syria as the death toll of the crisis remains on the rise and violence intensifies. With the increase in militarism, the conflict has escalated to cause many children, women, and men much suffering, death, injuries, and displacement. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 100,000 Syrians have lost their lives, tens of thousands have been wounded, and almost 2 million have become refugees, 1 million of whom are children.

Any military intervention, according to U.S. officials, will not aim at changing the dynamics of the civil war in Syrian and turning its tide. This means that military action will only result in prolonging the ongoing conflict and the suffering of the people. It will also cause suffering in the nations and families who will lose soldiers and loved ones.

In response to the Syrian crisis, humanitarian actors have launched the largest operation in history and they still have not succeeded in meeting all the basic needs of those affected by the crisis, due to extreme lack of funds and resources. Military action will not only cost governments large amounts of such resources, but will cause humanitarian actors to scale up operations to address its impact on people.

World governments must instead facilitate dialogue between the different Syrian actors and encourage them to seek common ground and the best interest of the people. They must invest in treating the wounds of the affected people of Syria and protecting children from militarization and many women and families from poverty and hunger. A peaceful solution is the only humanitarian solution there is. We may have days, or even hours, before governments intervene. Let's stand in solidarity with the people of Syria, with the children and widows of Syria.

Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD)/Jordan