Press Release
March 15, 2019 • 2 min read
"On the 8th anniversary of conflict in Syria, GOAL volunteers engaged with the public to discuss the effect on the Syrian people and how GOAL is helping the Syrian people."
2018 has been recorded as the deadliest year for children in Syria.
Today, Friday March 15th, GOAL and the international community mark the eighth year of the devastating conflict that has swept Syria. Crowds gathered as GOAL unveiled a hard hitting mural on Curved Street in Dublin’s City Centre. The unique piece serves as a stark reminder that children are still facing unimaginable tragedy and hardship in Syria every day. It is estimated that approximately 4 million children have been born into conflict with gunfire and air strikes are normal to the vast majority of them. Schools, playgrounds and homes, once places of safety and security, are now reduced to rubble and face risk.
Virtual reality headsets were available for the public to experience what life in Syria might be like. For those who participated in the virtual reality experience, they witnessed a terrifying scene of how rapidly a normal evening at home can change, in a split second, to an evening you will never forget.
To date, it is estimated that over 2.5 million children have been forced to flee their family homes and are now seeking refuge across the border in countries such as Turkey and Jordan. Families are forced to travel for hours on foot to reach safety and humanitarian aid often possessing very little – not even their dignity.
The design was conceptualised by GOAL and the art collective SUBSET to focus minds and stand in solidarity with the innocent communities living in Syria, and neighbouring countries, who have been forced from their homes amid violence and conflict in the past 8 years. GOAL began working in Syria in late 2012 in response to the ongoing conflict.”8 years of Conflict, 8 years of Innocence Lost”Public Members leave messages of hope for Syrian peopleCrowds gathered to share messages of love and hope on the anniversary of conflict beginning in Syria
In 2018, GOAL reached over 975,000 conflict-affected people with water, food and emergency support. GOAL is calling on the Irish public to demonstrate their humanity and compassion for the innocent Syrian children and families by posting a message at the mural site and sharing their message on social media channels with #StandwithSyria.
Syria in numbers:
On March 5th, GOAL asked members of the Oireachtas to use their political influence internationally to prevent further air strikes in the northwest. Civilians living, and displaced in the area, fear the threat of conflict moving north and trapping them along the border with Turkey which has been closed off to receiving any more refugees. Conflict continues throughout the country and GOAL will continue to provide aid and assistance while the need is there.
