The war in Syria

The battle in Syria continues, with Aleppo under the spell of constant aerial bombings. Over the past weekend, the Syrian rebels were able to fight through Syrian regime lines to break the siege of the city. For the next two days, Syrian aircraft continued to pound Aleppo with bombs. The humanitarian situation in Syria has continued to get worse as the fighting has gotten more severe. The rebels have accused the Syrian army of using vacuum and cluster bombs. The so-called truce negotiated at the start of the year was always likely to run into intense difficulties in a tense domestic and international situation. The situation may now be further complicated by a BBC report that allegedly shows images of British Special Forces helping the Free Syrian Army inside Syrian territory. The images are allegedly from a base near the Syria-Iraq border. International troops have previously been off limits for Western countries as that would make this an international war. While there has been no statement from any British officials, it is clear enough that there are likely to be severe consequences, quite probably from Assad and Russia.

In a tense diplomatic situation, where progress is slow and alliances are quick to shift, it is the Syrian people that suffer the most. How the situation can turn can be witnessed by the scheduled meeting between Turkish President Erdogan and Russian President Putin. The two countries had cut off diplomatic ties earlier this year after Turkey brought down a Russian fighter plane. With another MSF hospital hit in airstrikes, even the provision of medical aid in the war has become increasingly difficult. Only 35 doctors remain in the rebel-held part of eastern Aleppo; they have written to the US, pleading an end to the bombardment of hospitals. The letter claims that a medical facility is targeted every 17 hours by the Syrian air force. Almost two million Syrians remain under siege, without access to food or medical supplies. The international community’s role has only made things worse as it has been unable to ensure its own members stick to the ceasefire it negotiated earlier this year. Airstrikes from Nato and Russia have continued – at opposite ends. In allegedly allowing their troops inside Syria, the British may have created the biggest diplomatic blunder in Syria. While it was fairly well known that Western allies were backing Syrian rebels, by putting troops on the ground – if the reports are to be believed – the UK will have put the lives of even more Syrian people at risk. Compounded with the ongoing fighting in Aleppo, the UN-backed peace talks scheduled for August are unlikely to get off the ground. At a time when the message from the West is that Syrian refugees are not welcome, it seems the world has agreed that the lives of the Syrian people do not matter in the great games of power.