ISU - Mackenzie Endicott

The Effects of War:

An Analysis of Living Conditions in Syria Contrasted to Canada

I was woken up one night to the sound of bombs. This isn’t unusual though, as it’s a normal occurance now anyways. The baby is crying now. Where’s mom? She doesn’t normally stay out this late… I hope she’s okay. Dad died a few years ago because of an air raid. He went out to get us food and never returned. Shh it’s okay.. It will all be over soon. I cradle the baby, but how am I supposed to comfort this baby when I too, am scared? I grab the baby’s favourite book and begin reading it to him. I had to stop going to school awhile ago, Mom said it was unsafe. I never thought I would miss school, but it was fun running around the green fields with brightly colored flowers blowing in the wind. Now when I go outside, everything is grey. The sky, the ground, the buildings. There’s no more grass. No more that’s alive anyways. It’s all rubble. Broken down, grey pieces of rubble.

Unfortunately this is a sad reality for over 15 million children living in Syria. In more than five years of war, the fighting in Syria has left an estimated 470,000 dead, more than 1 million injured, as well as driven 11.3 million from their homes. Because of these reasons and many more, Canada offers a safe country and a land of hope for millions of Syrian refugees.

Life in Syria compared to Canada is so drastic. The ways of life are so vastly different, and not in an any good type of way. In Syria, children are scared of their safety. They feel unsafe, are kept in small, cramped homes, which could be damaged from the war, and don’t have the proper access to food and nutrition that they should. Of the 6.5 million Syrians who’ve been permanently displaced from their homes, an estimated 2.8 million of those are children. For many of these kids, poor nutrition and lack of access to healthcare have become life-threatening issues. This video shows the contrast between multiple Syrian children compared to American children: Syrian children's' hopes and dreams. Education is scarce nowadays because parents are not comfortable with sending their children to school, as they believe it is unsafe. 8 of 10 Syrian children are in need of humanitarian needs; almost 4 of 10 children have been displaced from their homes; 3 of 10 children under the age of 5 do not have their routine vaccinations; 1 in 2 children are not in school, and 1 in 4 schools have been damaged or destroyed Contrast of Life - Syrian Child . 

            In Canada, education is everywhere, and everything to some people. Parents push their children to get through high school with honours so they will get into a good university, get a degree, and therefore succeed in life. However, parents get disappointed when their child fails a test. One test. Out of hundreds they take in their lifetime. Syrian parents are happy if their child gets any education ever. The average Canadian is making approximately $30,000 a year. This money covers groceries, mortgages, and the other necessities. The leftover is put in savings or used for personal spending. Health care in Canada is free; routine checkups, vaccinations, examinations, all CAT, MRI, and CT scans are all free.

         

A 2013 Canadian survey found that 92% of Canadians shared the values of human right, 92% respect for the law, and 91% for gender equality. Respect for aboriginal culture was also a shared Canadian value.Values also include: inclusion, democracy, economic securities, safety, sustainability, diversity, equity, and health. In Syria, they value: loyalty, family, social standings, honor, and dignity.

But why do people move to Canada? Is it the free health care? The vast opportunities? The education? Is it all of these reasons? Or is it to escape. Escape the wars, the poverty, the memories. Is it a place where you can feel safe again? Every single person has their own unique reason, but everyone wants to come to a place where they’re accepted. Where they can leave their past for whatever reason be, and have the opportunity at a better life, or a better job, better family or a better education.

Canadian Immigration Records 2015-2016

Syrian children are continuously exposed to violence. Some are forced to become child soldiers while others are pushed into the workforce to provide for their families. Education systems have come under attack in Syria, as militaries usually see schools, schoolchildren, and teachers as targets. Syria had a strong education system in place before the civil war, with almost 100% primary school enrolment and 70% of children attending secondary school. In 2016, UNICEF reported that 2.1 million children in Syria and 700 000 Syrian refugee children do not have access to education. In 2016, there was a total of 80,000 children refugees who were not currently enrolled at school. Syria has been extremely affected by attacks on education, including attacks on students, teachers, and buildings. Since the start of the conflict, over a quarter of Syrian schools have been damaged, destroyed, or are being used as shelters. Even when schools remain open, children may be afraid to travel to school, fearing attacks, kidnappings, or other threats. Approximately 500 children have been killed while either at school, or traveling to/from school. UNICEF estimates that around 7 million children in Syria live in conditions of poverty.  In 2015, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program, 9.8 million Syrians suffer from food insecurity. In Syria, there is a law stating that a child may not engage in work until they have either finished basic education, or reach 15 years of age. Since the war has began, this law has been loosely thrown around, and children are now forced to work in conditions that are mentally, physically, and socially dangerous environments. In Syria, children may be sent away from their families to other parts of the country or to neighbouring countries to generate income, avoid being recruited, or avoid being injured in the conflict. Families that struggle to meet their basic needs are sometimes forced to put their children out to work, marry their daughters early, or allow their children to be recruited by armed groups. Children work in agriculture, metal work, carpentry, restaurants, as well as sell items on the street, wash cars, collect trash, or even beg. In Syria, male children are forcibly recruited and used as soldiers, most of the time without the consent of their parents. Half of these children are also under the age of 15 years old.

With such horrible living conditions, the chances of risking your life every day, and sometimes forcibly, and you had the chance to go to a country where there is no war, no being forced against your will, where there is education open to everyone, without risking your life to get there, where there is food and shelter and safety. Why wouldn't anyone take that opportunity if they had the chance. Canada is the land of the free.

In conclusion, Syria is not ideal living spaces for anything or anyone, and there is a extensive difference between the conditions of countries, in all factors relating to education, physical and mental health, shelter, and poverty.

Works Cited

BBC News. www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/39446895.

BBC News. www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186.

CBC News. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/vietnamese-refugee-pay-it-forward-syrian-family-1.3464777.

CBC News. www.cbc.ca/news/world/syrian-refugee-crisis-lessons-from-vietnamese-boat-people-1.3224405.

Fox 4 News. fox4kc.com/2015/09/10/powerful-video-shows-the-toll-on-syrian-children-as-pres-obama-orders-acceptance-of-10000-refugees/.

Humanium. www.humanium.org/en/middle-east-north-africa/syria/.

PBS Frontline. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/children-of-syria-by-the-numbers/.

Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_values.