The Syrian Civil War Coursework Example

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The Syrian Civil War could be attributed to all the atrocities that are experienced by the Syrian residents. Therefore, the ongoing battle that is solely fought between the President Bashar al-Assad’s government with the opposition has led to devastating effects not only on the citizens but also on the nation of Syria at large. The article Syria’s Polio Epidemic: The Suppressed Truth by Annie Sparrow highlights on the effects of the ongoing Syrian battle on the citizens of Syria. Apart from other devastations such as destruction of property and loss of lives, the author has settled on the infectious epidemics among the populations of Syria. The author addresses the plight encountered by the children in Syria. At least 100,000 children are affected by the terrible war conditions in Syria including, malnutrition, trauma, communicable diseases like Tuberculosis, hepatitis, dysentery as well as whooping cough. Child trafficking, early marriages, as well as early soldier recruitment are also included as some of the plights facing the young population (Sparrow np). The article aims to draw the relationship between the political instability in Syria and the effect it has on the health of its citizens.
On the other hand, the Truth about Polio in Syria is an article authored by Bruce Aylward and is done in response to Annie Sparrow’s news feature. Bruce Aylward confirms the effects of epidemic infectious among the vulnerable populations of Syria. The author also highlights the need to have the accurate data of the affected population in pursuing the agenda of protecting the children from such misfortunes attributed to civil wars.

The author, therefore, suggests that the reliance of the clinical test results in a bid to give a statistical data of the affected may not give accurate information. This method rallies on the United States Centers for Disease Control. Instead, the victims that display the clinical diagnosis symptoms of polio should also be included in the polio data. Due to the suppressed truth about reporting on the cases of polio in Syria, the World Health Organization has ended up giving a slow response to handling the matter (Aylward np). This article demonstrates that offering misleading information about a catastrophe may lead to the problem being ignored.
The laxity on the part of the Syrian government in dealing with the public health issues is what could be ailing the public health sector. The fact that poliomyelitis can be prevented through regular vaccinations means that polio –affected society is also avoidable. Staging attacks on the doctors and health care systems in the opposition areas also contribute to the high cases of polio incidences in Syria. In sum, the government of Syria has neglected its responsibility according to Annie Sparrow.
Bruce Aylward makes the following claims. In his article, the author claims that neglecting the issue by health systems is the main cause of the problem in Syria. The United Nations health campaigns have not been conducted in all the parts of Syria. Thus, the campaign cannot be said to be effective in addressing the health concern.
The above claims presented by the two authors are fundamental in addressing the issue in Syria. Health is one of the basic needs that should not be taken for granted in any country. Thus, in a bid to resolve the issue, the health sector should be handed over to an independent body that will serve the people of Syria without discrimination or partiality. This will avoid politicizing this issue.
Secondly, in Bruce Aylward article, the accuracy of data is significant in responding to a health issue. However, it is important to recognize the fact that any statistical data may not be free of errors especially in cases where a sample is used to represent a population. Therefore, the humanitarian crisis organizations cannot ignore the worrying health conditions experienced in any war-torn country. The risk factors of poor sanitation, malnutrition, poverty, and overpopulation are enough to depict the health condition of Syria residents. If the United Nations health campaigns and World Health Organization would act on this ground, then the health situation would have been better in Syria. Thus, pushing the blame on the incorrect reporting should not be a factor to consider in dealing with this issue.
In a nutshell, war-torn countries experience a myriad of problems. This is owing to the fact that war perpetuates other social problems within a society. Therefore, the two essays are persuasive in that they present urgent human problems that if not attended to can cause havoc in the whole country of Syria. From reading the above articles, one notices that an urgent solution ought to be provided in a bid to save the vulnerable populations in Syria. On the other hand, war is a sensitive topic that easily attracts both domestic as well as international media attention. Thus, covering such sensitive topics could not only raise awareness on the plight of citizens and refugees but also arouse humanitarian assistance in terms of peace campaigns. Thus, both authors address a topic that cannot go ignored.
Works Cited
“Syria’s Polio Epidemic: The Suppressed Truth | by Annie Sparrow.” The New York Review of Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
“The Truth About Polio in Syria | by Bruce Aylward.” The New York Review of Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.