Will US Give In This Time To Stop The Bloodshed?
As more than 150,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the civil war three years ago, many ask if the United States will finally intervene this time to resolve the the never-ending crisis engulfing the Middle Eastern country.
In an interview with Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell of CBS This Morning, Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the question by saying that the President has made a fundamental decision that the United States is not going to put American boots on the ground.
“He’s made that clear, and I don’t think the American people, the Congress, anybody feels that that’s what we should do.” – Secretary Kerry
However, President Obama made a commitment to ramp up efforts with allies in concert with the fundamental support group of both Arab communities and European communities who are committed to helping to stop the slaughter that is taking place in Syria.
In the coming days ahead, the US will be working very closely with Congress to engage in additional assistance to the moderate opposition.
With the tormenting crisis, the US is also concerned about the fundamental spillover impact on Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq.
Secretary Kerry also highlighted that the crisis in Syria is destabilizing the region, and there is an increase in the number of terrorists, even some who are plotting against Europe and the United States.
US Aid To Syria
In November 2012, the United States of America provided $30 million in additional humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of Syrian people affected by the turmoil.
In Syria, the additional funding will allow for provision of food aid to families in need.
In neighboring countries, the additional assistance from the United States will provide food supplies, hot meals, and food vouchers for families who have fled the violence in Syria.
In addition, the additional assistance will be provided through the World Food Program (WFP), which is providing food aid to 1.5 million people in Syria and the refugees who have fled to neighboring countries.
The United States is the largest donor of food aid for those affected by the conflict in Syria through WFP.
In August 2012, with the violence engulfing Syria, the United States of America has announced an additional $12 million in humanitarian assistance, bringing the total amount of U.S. emergency aid to more than $76 million.
The U.S. government continues to place on ending the escalating violence which has uprooted hundreds of thousands of Syrians.
The humanitarian needs continue to grow whre the number of Syrians displaced to neighboring countries now exceeds 130,000, with nearly 1.5 million in need inside Syria, including UN-estimated one million internally displaced persons.
The Syrian violence has led a crisis on a humanitarian scale that is of the highest priority within the U.S. government, and for which the US pledges to continue to provide support.
In April 2012, with the deteriorating situation in Syria due to turmoil, the United States of America has bolstered efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflict in the country.
The UN estimates that there are over 2 million Syrians inside Syria in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Of that number, it’s an estimated 300,000 internally displaced.
United States has dedicated some $33 million to support the important work to assist and protect those in need in Syria and neighboring countries, and much more is on the way.
The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 150, 000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousand