IN what could be called an important development towards ending the lingering conflict in Syria, Arab League Foreign Ministers adopted a decision to readmit Syria after more than a decade of suspension on Sunday, league’s spokesperson said, consolidating a regional push to normalize ties with President Bashar Al-Assad.
Twelve years of war have inflicted immense sufferings on the Syrian people and the latest development is indeed good news for them which will provide them some solace and relief. According to some estimates, the conflict has left half a million people dead and devastated many cities. In addition to the bloodshed, more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million have had to flee their homes. Some 6.8 million are internally displaced, with more than two million living in tented camps with limited access to basic services. Another six million are refugees or asylum-seekers abroad. Neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey which are hosting 5.3 million of them, have struggled to cope with one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history. At the start of 2023, the UN said 15.3 million people inside Syria were in need of some form of humanitarian assistance – an all-time high since the war began and 12 million did not know where their next meal was coming from. The February 6 earthquakes added more death and destruction to parts of northern Syria already worn down by the civil war. In this gloomy backdrop, efforts on the part of regional countries to bring Syria back to the fold of Arab surroundings are really commendable which in fact will definitely help the country return to normalcy and create opportunities for its people. For Syrians, the readmission to Arab League is a first step towards ending their deeply painful isolation and with this will follow the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, in which we believe, the other Arab countries will be more than willing to invest given their recent engagements with the Syrian officials. It must be understood that wars give nothing but death and destruction and it is only through dialogue and diplomacy that the matters can be settled. The US should also review its policy towards Syria and withdraw its troops from there as it is important to make the rebuilding process really successful and ensure complete normalcy so that those who left the country could return back home.
