Rebel-Held Aleppo

One Man’s View Into the Last Days in Rebel-Held Aleppo

This article was published the 13th December 2016 by New York Times.

The article talks about the violence in Aleppo, Mr. Zarqa shared images of injured people fleeing violence in the besieged areas.

He has been a regular contributor of audio, video, and text messages to a WhatsApp group that activists, doctors and others use to share information and opinions with journalists covering the Syrian war.

Some of the messages showed Mr. Zaqra’s attempts to move on with life, despite the war.

But more often than not, his messages are grim. Last Friday, Mr. Zarqa shared a number of audio clips of renewed clashes and of what he said were warplanes dropping bombs near his home.

Several people in the messaging group expressed fear of being killed or arrested by the government if they left the besieged area. Most of the messages showed scenes of destruction, despair and violence.

Over the past week, Mr. Zarqa has remained optimistic that somehow he would be able to stay in the city, even as forces loyal to the Syrian government continued to gain territory. Last week, he shared a photo of a sweater dress that his wife was knitting for the baby girl of a friend. 

On Tuesday, Russia declared the battle over, but on Wednesday shelling resumed, and a promised evacuation of the remaining fighters and their families had not begun. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/14/world/middleeast/aleppo-siege-audio-video.html

Ainhoa Escudero Campos and Pepe Romero Zapata.

Proyecto pionero de Bruselas

Proyecto pionero de Bruselas para la integración de los niños refugiados sirios en las escuelas y la sociedad.

El proyecto se presenta en Europa más concretamente Bruselas, el 7 de Diciembre de 2016, los protagonistas de este proyecto para la integración escolar y cultural de los refugiados en Europa son:  La Unión Europea, el Comité de las Regiones, el presidente del Comité de las Regiones Markku Markkula y Marie Pierrand y Juliette Pirlet son las profesoras del sistema educativo belga por las que el proyecto fue impulsado hace dos años.

El artículo nos habla sobre el proyecto que se presentó en Bruselas el proyecto de la integración “La Petite École”, que consiste en el apoyo educacional a niños refugiados sirios que todavía no se han conseguido escolarizar. El proyecto fue impulsado hace dos años por dos profesoras del sistema educativo belga, que explicaron los grandes retos a los que se enfrentan tras haber estado mucho tiempo sin ir a la escuela.

Uno de los objetivos fundamentales es la integración de los menores en Europa para que se sientan felices, quieran introducirse en las estructuras oficiales del país y sientan apego por su nuevo entorno.

El proyecto pionero comenzó en el parque de Bruselas donde se concentraron varias decenas de niños refugiados e improvisaron clase de francés y conocimientos básicos.

"La Petite École" ha conseguido por primera vez financiación pública para que las clases se impartan en centros cerrados y con una perspectiva a largo plazo.

Yo pienso que este proyecto es un gran avance y una gran iniciativa por parte del gobierno Belga, para mejorar la situación de los refugiados en los países de la unión. Aparte del gran bien que les hace a los niños refugiados ya que se les ayuda a integrarse en la sociedad del país Europeo en el que estén, a aprender sobre su cultura, a seguir con su educación fuera de su país natal, además ayuda a que las personas tanto refugiados como a los habitantes de ese país a perder el miedo entre ellos y recibirlos como lo que realmente son refugiados que han sido forzados a salir de su país por una guerra.

http://euroefe.euractiv.es/1311_actualidad/4202789_bruselas-presenta-el-proyecto-pionero-de-integracion-de-

Alicia Román y Jesús Gamero.

Manpower problems in Syria's Army

The article “New recruitment drive indicates deep manpower problems in Syria´s army” was published the 22nd of  November 2016 by The Washington Spot.

Here we can see how the Syrian army said it had formed a new body of volunteers to join its five-year war campaign (the Fifth Legion) so it encouraged men 18 and older to be enrolled. The volunteers would work alongside allied forces with the Syrian government, "eliminating terrorism" and giving "safe and stable" back to the country. In a speech last year, President Bashar al-Assad, showed the problem as a "human capacity deficit." Although he insists that defeat does not exist for his army. The number of military force continues to be insufficient, thus damaging the ability to maintain land without the help of its allies.

So, "We know that the Syrian army is facing a serious shortage of labor due to separation, abandonment, evasion of drafts and casualties," said Faysal Itani, a resident member of the Rafik Hariri Center of the Atlantic Council for the Middle East .

Men fleeing military service, despite those who manage to defer it with a payment of a certain amount, without luck; like some men who were arrested just as they were trying to leave Syria.

Given that the Syrian economy is in free fall, Damasco's war effort has been strengthened by two powerful militia forces (the Tigers Forces and the Desert Hawks), that pay higher and allow recruits more freedom to reap the spoils of war.

Knowing the need for Syrian army military recruits for upcoming or future wars or unforeseen events, we think that if those men of sufficient age fight oppose or flee from this, they are arrested and transported against their will to certain places which is unfair and against human rights. And this is why this is one of the main reasons Syrians leave here country everyday, they want to have at least the right of leading their own life, they don’t want the government to decide the way they are going to die and their daily life in such devastating environment.

Elena Díaz Prieto and Paola Molina Almarcha.

Refugees return

Los niños refugiados saharauis retornan a los campamentos... That is how the article published by "El Diario de Sevilla" starts. "Refugee children return to the camps". Around 300 underage saharawis have said good-bye the 26th of August to their host-families in San Pablo airport, where the team of the association of Friendship with the Saharawi people were waiting for them, to organise their return to the refugee shelters in Tinduf (Algeria) where they have returned after having enjoyed their summer in the province of Sevile thanks to the programme "Vacaciones en Paz 2016" (Vacations in peace). The children left with their bags, a box of food and presents to arive to the camps, hug their families again and start the school year.

In spite of the decrease of host families throughout the Spanish State provoked by the Spanish crisis, Seville, between the provinces, has been one of the most welcoming, similar to Andalucía which has been an autonomous community with the most children, raising one thousand underage refugees. Also, this year, thanks to the Colective Sponsorship campaign, which was able to sponsor more than 30 trips for Saharawi children, has opened the eyes of the groups and sponsoring entities, from which new host families have emerged, increasing the number of people defending children's rights.

One more year it has been possible to achieve important objectives of the "Vacaciones en Paz" project, also it has been possible to give health-care to the refugees some of which will come back next year to continue receiving medical treatment.

Mario Rodríguez and Teresa Gómez. 

More than 10,000 refugees rescued in two days in Mediterranean

In more than 70 Italian coastguard-led operations, 28 bodies have reportedly been recovered and three babies have been born

More than 10,000 refugees bound for Italy have been rescued in the Mediterranean in the last 48 hours in a series of more than 70 operations led by the Italian coastguard and navy.

It was reported that 28 bodies had been recovered. Meanwhile, Italian officials said three babies had been born on a ship heading to Catania, Sicily, delivered with the assistance of doctors from the Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corp. All three were in good health.

The most recent rescue mission, in which 4,655 migrants were brought to safety, took place in the Strait of Sicily, and comprised 33 separate operations involving 27 rubber boats, one barge and five small boats.

The operations were led by the coastguard, and officials said Frontex, the EU rescue mission, and an Irish navy ship were involved as well as the aid groups Moas, Life Boat, Proactiva Open Arms and Watch the Med.

Earlier this week 6,055 people were rescued over a 24-hour period as the coastguard, navy and humanitarian groups came to the aid of 32 rubber dinghies, five large wooden boats and two rafts that were spotted 30 miles (48km) north of Libya.

Italy’s neighbours to the north – Austria, France and Switzerland – have essentially closed off their borders to new migrants, creating political tensions and forcing Italy to process and possibly relocate asylum seekers on its own.

Pablo Nolasco and Sergio Lozano.

PROEMAID NEWS REPORT

 

In the article “La ONG andaluza Proem-aid: La ayuda humanitaria tiene que estar alerta de por dónde saltan y correr a su encuentro", that was published the 22nd of March 2016, the Spanish organization, named Proemaid, took over the rescues in Lesbos.

The Spanish non-governmental organization Proemaid, based in Seville, is formed by professionals who are specialized in rescue, and composed by firefighters and health personnel. It has helped and saved the lives of countless refugees, on the Greek island of Lesbos, who previously came from Turkey and at the same time were expelled of said country by the wars and terrorists.

In the article, they express how hard it is to help all refugees when there are so many countries that don't want to host them. There have been too many casualties by drowing since then new pact was established, due to refusal to allow the voluntees from Proemaid help the refugees get to the shore. But there's one thing these men can assure you: even if all the European countries decline needs and they will try to reach our countries no matter what stands in their way, which is the reason why we need to be there when they arrive.

Our thoughts about this organization are that these men are incredibly brave and sympathetic for risking their lives every day to save other people they have no kowledge about. They're saving these people for no apparent reason other than their good will, which is a heroic act all on its own.

David Smith and Elena Romero.