child in madaya
On 14 January 2016, a child is screened for malnutrition at a make-shift hospital in Madaya.
((c) UNICEF/UN07564/Singer)
William Lambers is a Cincinnati author and journalist
There are Syrian civilians starving to death as you read this. Some are trying to live off leaves and grass because of food shortages caused by the five-year civil war between the government and the opposition.
They are waiting for the international community to rescue them, but humanitarian convoys are blocked by the warring sides. Russia's bombings in support of the Syrian government's offensive on rebel-held Aleppo are killing civilians, destroying medical facilities and bakeries. Food supply lines are being cut off. Rupert Colville of the U.N. Human Rights Commission says, "The population of Aleppo is in dire need of an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian assistance."
Syrians are appealing to the world for help. The U.N. Peace Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, gets these messages daily. Mistura says the Syrian people plead, "We are human beings. We deserve to get food, water, access to medical facilities. And second, we need no more bombs, no more war."
Russia should understand, more than anyone, the suffering the Syrian people are enduring. For it was once they who were pleading for help as their children starved.
The Russian Famine of 1921 was the result of years of severe drought, conflict and instability. There was literally no food in many Russian communities.
In fact, the Russian writer Maxim Gorky appealed to the United States. Herbert Hoover read his cry for help and led an incredible relief effort. Tens of millions of people were saved from starvation by food sent from America and Europe.
After World War II, Russia sent food to France during the famine threat of 1946.
You would hope this Russian history would lend itself to humanitarian actions in Syria. While the Russians have donated several million dollars' worth of food aid in 2015 and 2016 to the World Food Program in Syria, that pales in comparison to what they are spending on bombs. A report estimates that Russian bombings in Syria cost the equivalent of $4 million per day.
U.N. vehicles travel a dusty road lined with the remnants of destroyed buildings in the Old City of Homs, Syria, in late January.
What Russia should be doing is taking more action to support a ceasefire in Syria and humanitarian access. They need to work with the United States, the United Nations and others to make this happen. Time is running out for many.
Ertharin Cousin, the director of the World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council on Jan 27 that, "As I speak to you now, we estimate that there are 18 besieged areas and close to half a million people completely cut off from food and other crucial humanitarian assistance."
Yet WFP, which leads hunger relief in Syria, can only stand by and wait for permission from armies to move into areas where people are starving. Sometimes this tragedy takes place just miles away from WFP warehouses.
There continue to be talks on a cessation of hostilities, which would allow humanitarians to reach the besieged areas.
There were signs of hope last week. Five besieged areas received food deliveries from WFP, UNICEF and other relief agencies.
Dr. Rajia Sharhan of UNICEF was with one of the aid convoys. She said, "When the convoys arrived to Madaya, children were running towards them saying, 'food has arrived ... food has arrived.'" Children received lifesaving Plumpy'Nut, an enriched peanut paste which saves them from deadly malnutrition.
WFP, with planes from a Russian contractor, is planning to air-drop food to areas under siege by the Islamic State. Steve Taravella, a WFP spokesperson says, "It would be a high-altitude operation dropping off food and other aid supplies with parachutes." The Syrian Arab Red Crescent would distribute the food.
So many other areas need food, too. Aid workers need unrestricted and consistent access to the hungry. In the past, some towns have been allowed one food delivery, then to be followed by another blockade for months.
But regular and unrestricted access for humanitarian agencies would save children from the lasting physical and mental damage that malnutrition causes. It could create conditions for a peaceful settlement.
But it's hard to imagine this happening if Russian bombs continue to fall in support of Syrian offensives. And continuing the war helps the terrorist group IS (Daesh), which has established a base in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says, "The longer this conflict persists, the better it is for extremists, the more people like Daesh profit."
But ending the civil war would change things significantly in the Middle East. There could be peace, reconstruction, and food for the hungry. More resources could be devoted to eliminating the terrorists.
It can still happen. But Russia must be a partner for peace in actions, not just words. They have to make a choice as to what their standing in the international community is to be. The fate of Syria and the region will rest on their decision.
To help:
Urge an end to the Syrian civil war: Catholic Relief Services recommends contacting your representatives urging international diplomacy to end the civil war.
Donate: You can also donate to relief agencies feeding Syria's war victims, including:
U.N. World Food Program
About the author: William Lambers is a Cincinnati-based author and journalist who partnered with the U.N. World Food Program on the book "Ending World Hunger."