Queen Rania of Jordan has joined the ranks of world leaders and celebrities marking the fifth anniversary of Syria's conflict. The anniversary is a somber one, with some estimates placing the death toll from the war at 470,000, over 10 million Syrians displaced, and contributing to the worst refugee crisis since World War II.
"Now in its sixth terrible year, the Syrian conflict continues to wreak havoc on its people, its country, and our region," she wrote on Facebook. "Syrian children born since the conflict began have known nothing but a lifetime of loss, violence and trauma. They don’t know where ‘home’ is. Many have suffered lasting and irreparable damage to their bodies and minds."
Actress and UNHCR envoy Angelina Jolie marked the anniversary by visiting the unofficial refugee camps in Lebanon's Bekaa valley. While over a million refugees reached Europe's shores last year, the overwhelming majority are still struggling to survive in regional host countries, in particular Turkey, with 2.7 million refugees, Jordan, and Lebanon.
The anniversary comes amid renewed attempts at peace talks between the Assad regime and opposition groups, which began in Geneva on Monday.
5 years of war in Syria-خمس سنوات مرت على الحرب في سوريادخلت الحرب السورية الضارية عامها السادس ولا تزال رحاها تدور وتطحن الأرواح وتعيث فسادا في سوريا والمنطقة بأكملها. أكثر من نصف السوريين نازحون، و 2.4 مليون طفل سوري لجئوا إلى دول الجوار. 3.7 مليون طفل ولدوا منذ اندلاع الحرب، وخرجوا ليجدوا العنف والحرمان والصدمة. تعرض كثير منهم لجراح جسدية ونفسية يصعب تضميدها. هؤلاء لا يعرفون معنى وطن ولا معنى أمان. في هذه الذكرى الأليمة لنقف ونتمعن في الواقع المرير لهؤلاء الأطفال. لنبحث ونجد سبلا لدعم أطفال هذا النزاع وانتشالهم بتوفير الرعاية الصحية لكي تلتئم جراحهم، واعطائهم تعليما يؤمن لهم مستقبلا أفضل. Now in its sixth terrible year, the Syrian conflict continues to wreak havoc on its people, its country and our region. More than half of Syria’s population has been displaced; 2.4 million Syrian children have been forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries. The 3.7 million Syrian children born since the conflict began have known nothing but a lifetime of loss, violence and trauma. They don’t know where ‘home’ is. Many have suffered lasting and irreparable damage to their bodies and minds. On this heartbreaking anniversary, let’s pause to think about those whose lives have been uprooted and forever changed. And let us all find ways to support the children of this conflict – with healthcare to help them heal and with education to give them the hope for a better future.#Five #Syria
Posted by Queen Rania on Tuesday, March 15, 2016
