Dear future President,

My name is Nba, and I'm a junior in high school in Troy, New York. I am writing you on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Syria. As a Sudanese Muslim, it hurts my heart that half of a population of children are dying. It bothers me that they have no education. It bothers me that Syrian children have to sit in a classroom not knowing if their school is next to be destroyed. It bothers me that a Syrian child can wake up and see that his or her family is gone. It bothers me that a Syrian child has to hang onto the rubbles of his home because it was bombed, only to stay alive.

The Syrian civil war has been going on since 2011. More than a quarter of the Syrian population has been killed in this ongoing civil war. We're going into 2017 now, and it is going to be the 6th year since the war has been going on. People are left with no choice but to flee their homes only wishing that they would live to see another day. Mothers screaming at the top of their lungs praying to God that their child is not found underneath rubble, dead. The Syrian crisis is said to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in our time right now. It's even stated to be worse than World War II. Syrians are displaced all over the world now having no choice but to leave their homes along with memories of violence and traumatising experiences in a beautiful country they once called their home.

While some countries are very welcoming, others are not. They came such a long way from their homes only to be turned down by countries, such as Russia and France. These are innocent civilians facing the fear of death every day. Countries, especially like the United States, need to be very willing to take in these innocent human beings. Organizations throughout the world need to be more prepared in welcoming Syrians. Families are struggling to survive inside of Syria, or forced to make a new home in neighboring countries. Many Syrians are risking their lives to get to Europe. The ones that leave through nearby waterways deal with the harsh conditions and the weak boats.  Those who do make it across the Mediterranean, still face many difficult challenges. Resources are being strained, services are minimal, and much of the route to Europe has been closed.

Just imagine, future President, being woken up only to find that your neighbors are dead. Just imagine waking up, to only see that your house has been bombed. Just imagine, future President, that you had to flee the country that you've lived in all your life and have called your home. Just imagine seeing innocent children dying. Just imagine going from three meals a day to nothing at all.  Imagine, future President, having to look for your son or daughter underneath a rubble and being asked by your son or daughter, “Will we live tomorrow?” Every single day people’s prayer calls are replaced by the sound of bombs. Imagine what it’s like for all of humanity turning their back on you. Imagine what a day in the life of a Syrian is like. Future President, if Bashar Al-Assad won't free Syria , will you free my Syria?

Sincerely,

Nba

Works Cited

Barnard ,Anne. “Death Toll From War in Syria Now 470,000 , Group Finds”.http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/world/middleeast/death-toll-from-war-in-syria-now-470000-group-finds.html?_r=0

Fantz,Ashley.”Why Syria should matter to Americans”. http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/world/syria-why-care/