Thought the War in Syria Was Just About Over? Think Again

Your own government bombing the hell out of your city, including a children's hospital: This is the horror of life in northern Syria.
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"In the last 48 hours, we have had an average of one Syrian killed every 25 minutes, one Syrian wounded every 13 minutes."

That's the carnage that is happening in Syria right now, says the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

So if you thought the war in Syria was pretty much over, it looks like you were wrong.

A hospital for kids was bombed.

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An airstrike turned a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, into rubble.

And it wasn't any ordinary hospital:

1. It was a pediatric hospital. The 27 people killed there include kids and doctors--including one of the only remaining pediatricians in Aleppo.

2. It was being supported by two humanitarian organizations: Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF (the acronym for its name in French, Médecins Sans Frontières), and the International Committee of the Red Cross. These organizations have been providing medical care, clean water, and medicine.

The government has been bombing Aleppo for days.

That children's hospital isn't the only target: the Syrian government has been assaulting Aleppo for about a week now, killing about 150 ordinary citizens.

The ICRC says everyone in Aleppo fears for their lives, as there is constant bombing and shelling in every neighborhood in their city.

https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/725392797679775744

The bombings might keep aid from reaching Syrian people.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, says the bombing in Aleppo and also in Homs has gotten so bad in the past few days that the UN may not be able to deliver aid to people and places in Syria who seriously need it.

Syrians in these areas really depend on aid.

The ceasefire in Syria could be over.

A bombing in Aleppo, Syria in 2014. (FreedomHouse/Flickr)

Back in February, a ceasefire was agreed upon in Syria, with help from the United Nations and the leadership of other countries that have been involved in the Syrian civil war, like the US and Russia. But all of this bombing in Aleppo makes it pretty clear that ceasefire isn't holding.

The UN believes the ceasefire is "hanging by a thread."

Thousands of innocent people have been killed in Syria this year.

And Aleppo isn't alone--there's major fighting going on elsewhere in Syria too.

Obama is sending more US troops to Syria.

A few days ago, President Obama said he is sending up to 250 extra US troops to Syria to help rebels who are fighting ISIS there. That means there will be 300 US forces in Syria.

These are special forces, not combat troops, there to provide support.

(The war in Syria is tangled, with the government fighting rebels, and both fighting ISIS and other terrorists who have taken advantage of the situation there. Plus, the US supports the rebels, while Russia supports the government.)

Meanwhile, many Syrian refugees are being blocked from coming to the US.

Your own government bombing the hell out of your city, including a children's hospital: This is the horror of life in northern Syria. If this was your reality, would you stay in your country, if you could get out? This is why there are so many Syrians fleeing--and why there are so many Syrian refugees who need help. Yet Republican governors in numerous states are blocking Syrians.

This article was written by Holly Epstein Ojalvo and originally appeared on Kicker. Kicker explains the most important, compelling things going on in the world and empowers you to get in the know, make up your own mind, and take action. For more, check out the Kicker site, like their Facebook page, or subscribe to their email newsletter.

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