Dear friends,
The Syrian air force just dropped chlorine gas bombs on children. Their little bodies gasped for air on hospital stretchers as medics held back tears, and watched as they suffocated to death.
But today there is a chance to stop these barrel bomb murders with a targeted No Fly Zone.
The US, Turkey, UK, France and others are right now seriously considering a safe zone in Northern Syria. Advisers close to President Obama support it, but he is worried he won’t have public support.
That’s where we come in...
Let’s tell him we don’t want a world that just watches as a dictator drops chemical weapons on families in the night. We want action.
One humanitarian worker said ‘I wish the world could see what I have seen with my eyes. It breaks your heart forever.’ Let's show that the world cares.
>> Sign here to support a life-saving No Fly Zone!This is not the first time Assad has used chemical weapons on his own people. But this attack comes just days after the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the use of chlorine gas in Syria. The Council threatened further action in case of violation -- that means now!
A safe zone, enforced by the US, Turkey, UK, France and other governments, is a modest step that can de-escalate the conflict and help stop the slaughter of civilians. It would not drag the west into a ground war. Experts say the Syrian military won’t be able to successfully challenge a No Fly Zone.
As long as Assad has control over the airspace, he will think he can win this brutal war by bombing communities into submission. But if we support the No Fly Zone, it can stop now.
>> Let’s show Obama we want him to protect civilians. Add your voice here now!The numbers are numbing -- over 210,000 killed, 50% of the population driven from their homes, 36% of hospitals destroyed, and almost 4,000 schools smashed. Our community has rallied for years to support Syrians struggling for survival. Let’s do it again, now!
With hope,
Loup Dargent
On behalf of John, Mais, Nick, Alice, Rewan, Wissam, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team
SOURCES
- Fresh allegations of chlorine gas attacks in Syria (The Guardian)
- Syria escalates barrel bomb attacks as world attention shifts (Yahoo News)
- Will U.S. and Turkey Create a Syria No-Fly Zone? (Bloomberg View)
- Syria: Barrage of Barrel Bombs (Human Rights Watch)
- Syria: The Policy Cul-De-Sac (Atlantic Council)