Forty-nine per cent of people do not think the UK media would bother reporting on atrocities, such as attacks on schools and hospitals, in the Syrian conflict.
This is despite the majority (63 per cent) of Britons believing such war crimes are common in the conflict, now in its 11th year.
The reason is a combination of confusion, insularity, the spread of disinformation and a reluctance for Western countries to intervene, according to a report by the charity Syria Relief, which commissioned the YouGov poll.
Attacks such as the deadly bombing of Afrin’s Al-Shifa Hospital in June, which left at least 18 people dead, are still a regular occurence.
Since 2011, Syria has seen chemical weapon attacks, mass killings, the use of child soldiers and the targeting of religious minorities.
Shamsa al-Ali, a 33-year-old Syrian refugee living in Lebanon, said: “The crisis didn’t end, it’s maybe greater than before.
“Every day I receive or hear news about one of my relatives who is missing, and his family can’t reach or contact him, or [he’s] died.”
Another refugee Asreya al-Hajj, 33, said: “Most of my family and siblings are homeless, the sweat we’ve given early before the war, building our houses and memories, are all now gone with a single airstrike.”
Shaha al-Mohammad, 24, said that she believes there is a lack of interest in what is happening in Syria because of the complex nature of the conflict.
“Because we kill each other as Syrians, others feel we deserve what is happening for us,” she added.
Syria Relief’s head of advocacy Charles Lawley believes the main reason for apathy from countries like the UK is “the sheer frequency of crimes against humanity”.
“We don’t believe that Syria should simply be condemned as just a place where bad things happen, but that every single attack on civilian life is an outrage, no matter how frequent they are,” he said.
“In fact, we would argue that the more frequent they are, the more outrageous they are. However, sadly, the lack of political will has meant that because there are just so many war crimes being committed, there is less anger about it.”
The report revealed that civilian victims of sniper attacks were injured in similar ways on certain days, suggesting shooters are having “competitions”. In some cases, pregnant women were found shot in the uterus.
“We don’t believe that Syria should simply be condemned as just a place where bad things happen, but that every single attack on civilian life is an outrage, no matter how frequent they are,” he said.
“In fact, we would argue that the more frequent they are, the more outrageous they are. However, sadly, the lack of political will has meant that because there are just so many war crimes being committed, there is less anger about it.”
The report revealed that civilian victims of sniper attacks were injured in similar ways on certain days, suggesting shooters are having “competitions”. In some cases, pregnant women were found shot in the uterus.
Brutal attacks on homes, hospitals and schools have forced millions to abandon their lives and seek refuge abroad. Since the start of the conflict, 6.8 million Syrians have become refugees and asylum seekers, with a further 6.7 million people displaced within Syria.
Rami Elsayer, a refugee at the Atmeh refugee camp in northern Syria, said “international news channels talking about the improvement of the situation in Syria are incorrect”.
“Our unemployment is high and the spread of coronavirus has affected us greatly, there is no healthcare,” he said.
“The situation is really much worse than previous years and I hope my message will reach all people around the world – don’t leave us alone.”
The United Nations (UN) says Lebanon has 865,530 registered Syrian refugees and estimates there are 1.5 million Syrians in the neighbouring country.
An estimated 90 per cent of Syrian refugee households live in “extreme poverty” in Lebanon, according to the UN, up from 55 per cent in early 2019.'
Rami Elsayer, a refugee at the Atmeh refugee camp in northern Syria, said “international news channels talking about the improvement of the situation in Syria are incorrect”.
“Our unemployment is high and the spread of coronavirus has affected us greatly, there is no healthcare,” he said.
“The situation is really much worse than previous years and I hope my message will reach all people around the world – don’t leave us alone.”
The United Nations (UN) says Lebanon has 865,530 registered Syrian refugees and estimates there are 1.5 million Syrians in the neighbouring country.
An estimated 90 per cent of Syrian refugee households live in “extreme poverty” in Lebanon, according to the UN, up from 55 per cent in early 2019.'
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