McCain’s Rebels Create Humanitarian Disaster in Syria

While Senator John McCain sports around with his Syrian Rebel "freedom fighter" friends, here is what is really happening in Syria.  See A Letter from Aleppo: A Firsthand account from inside Syria’s Humanitarian Disaster.  Do you want to truly make a difference and help these people?  Don’t send bombs!  Don’t help the rebels!  Send money to Barnabas Aid.    

Here’s a portion of the article:

Below is a letter out of Aleppo, Syria, that was written in late July by a physician. A lifelong Aleppo resident of Armenian heritage, this man has remained in one of the ancient city’s Christian neighborhoods throughout a 14-month siege by rebel forces. He is a trusted source to WORLD, not named for security reasons, with a long history of medical aid work throughout the Middle East and Asia. This letter is reprinted with permission of Barnabas Aid, which first published it.  

Since he wrote, the rebel blockade of Aleppo has now entered its third month. Water, electricity, and communication are cut off, infrastructure has collapsed, and residents cannot leave, nor can aid be brought in. For Aleppo residents, all necessities of life are in short supply and prices have soared. A bag of lentils that only a year ago cost 50 Syrian pounds, or about $1, now may cost anywhere from $5 to $10. Because of shortages and the exorbitant cost, churches—one in Aleppo was providing meals for 35,000 displaced Syrians only a few months ago—have been forced to halt help for the needy.

Aleppo—Syria’s largest city, with more than 2 million people in the country’s industrial and agricultural heartland—has a historically diverse religious and ethnic makeup. The rebels’ success at taking over much of the city suggests they stand a chance at toppling the government of Bashar al-Assad. But the humanitarian crisis they have created will make anyone wonder what kind of government the opposition forces might deliver were they to successfully replace Assad. The blockade, meanwhile, has gone uncontested by the United States and its allies, making many Syrians doubt the U.S. move toward military strikes is designed to relieve their humanitarian crisis, or address the many atrocities of this war. —Mindy Belz