Commemorating the 140,000 Syrian Deaths

[tb1988]

Last edited Sat Mar 22, 2014, 11:34 PM - Edit history (1)

The Syria Solidarity Network organized a gathering in St Paul on March 16, 2014, as part of the worldwide commemorations honoring the 3rd anniversary of the revolution against the brutal Assad dictatorship. The "Olives & Herbs" meal was part of the International Solidarity Hunger Strike's campaign to continue pressing for the unhampered delivery of food and medicine to the besieged communities of Syria.

http://vimeo.com/89717059

We read the names of 140 children killed by regime forces. Total deaths are estimated at 146,000 since March 15, 2011, with perhaps 1400 being children.

For months besieged Syrians, suffering under starvation blockades, have only had access to olives and grass and sometimes other greens. Friends for a NonViolent World was one of the initial organizers of the International Solidarity Hunger Strike for Syria, organizing people around the world to push for a binding UN resolution to allow delivery of food, similar to the one that the UN recently passed.

While the recent UN resolution called for allowing humanitarian agencies to deliver food to besieged areas, very little food has actually been delivered since the passage of that resolution. The regime negotiated so-called ceasefires, based on a strategy of "starve or surrender". The regime has not permitted unhampered delivery of food and medicine.

The UN resolution included a specific commitment to come back to the Security Council to take further steps in the event of noncompliance.

These were the initial goals of the International Solidarity Hunger Strike and we will continue to advocate for them:

• A call for immediate shipment and delivery of food and medicine to all besieged towns in Syria.
• A call for a binding resolution from the UN Security Council requiring the regime in Syria and all armed parties to allow humanitarian organizations immediate unfettered access to aid the civilian population without discrimination, including cross-border access and cross-line access (from regime-controlled areas into rebel-controlled areas).
• To alert media and political representatives about this situation.

[MplsAnnie]

1. Very moving video

The war in Syria is truly horrific. Assad should be brought before the International Criminal Court - the pictures and videos from Syria are heartbreaking. Barrel bombs dropped on civilian neighborhoods! Millions of refugees. Torture pictures. The world's worst humanitarian disaster.

[annm4peace]

2. moving video

it is shameful. I wish the UN would freeze the regimes assets.. maybe that would get them to stop

[truedelphi]

3. How quickly we have forgotten the people of Syria.

Although Obama's pleas that we join the rebels in Syria and fight for "democracy over there" only rallied some 17% of us weary Americans in support of such actions, now that the war in Crimea is getting its mojo going, we are totally forgetting the suffering in Syria.

People are starving, now more than lat year; families are still being bombed, mortared, sniped at, IED'ed.