Aylan Kurdi was three years old. Born into a country plagued by war and despair, his parents did what any parent would and attempted to seek out the safest possible opportunity for their family. Aylan and his family were attempting to flee Syria and make way for Canada, via a smuggling boat, but things went atrociously wrong. The weather became unsuitable for travel and the Kurdi family was met with a horrific, unimaginable fate that shattered their family beyond repair.
Aylan, his mother, his older brother, and nine other people on the boat, drowned during this desperate act to reach safety. Abdullah, Aylan’s father, is the last surviving member of the Kurdi family. Upon being told his relocation could be arranged, Abdullah responded “Now I don’t want anything. What was precious is gone.”

 
A photo of Aylan’s washed-up body on a beach in Turkey spread like wildfire all across the world and ignited a global outcry for action. It was front-page news for every top newspaper and writers were churning out articles by the second discussing this traumatizing, physical representation of the violence occurring in Syria and the brutality that has existed for the past 4 years.

 
After the eruption of civil war in Syria in 2011, the U.N. estimates that over 200,000 have died and around 4 million have fled to neighboring countries for asylum. When added to the number of Syrians who have been internally displaced, the number of innocent civilians who have had their lives drastically changed has escalated to around 11 million.
It’s easy for some people to let these numbers remain statistics, separated from the individuals they represent, but John Green, famous author and historian, encourages everyone to remember that each number represents an individual in dire need of assistance.“Large numbers can feel cold and distant and even kind of comforting because they don’t feel like people,” said Green in a recent video that was posted on his Youtube channel. He continued, “to talk about the refugee crisis, we need statistics but let us not forget about what is precious.”

MercyCorps reported that “At this rate, the U.N. predicts there could be 4.27 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2015 — the worst exodus since the Rwandan genocide 20 years ago.” That number of civilians is hard to deny and overlook–but the dilemma many countries face is whether or not to intervene and open their doors to the Syrians.
As the war rages on, Syrian violence bleeds into other countries and creates a stain that is hard to ignore. Several countries have contributed aid; some with enormous generosity, others with miniscule efforts. Refugees have been escaping to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq due to their close proximity, but these countries are being stretched incredibly thin. Twenty-five percent of Jordan’s population is now refugees and the country is struggling to house the influx of people whereas countries along the Gulf have given some financial support, but taken in zero individuals. Canada has accepted 30 percent fewer refugees than they did 10 years ago and while the U.S. has given financial aid, they have taken in only 1,500 people.

 
While the crisis itself is primarily occurring in Syria, many passionate individuals feel it should not be categorized as simply a regional issue contained in the Middle East. “When discussing refugees, I often hear ‘Well it’s not our problem’ or ‘We have to take care of our people’. But we are one species sharing one profoundly interconnected world. And humans–all humans–are our people,” Green said. He stated that this is a massive humanitarian crisis and everybody must bear the heavy burden of blame.“For too long we have labored under the delusion the regional crises have no global significance. Imagining any widespread, human problem as belonging to someone else is catastrophically misguided,” he declared.

 
Cory Eno, a history teacher at BHS, recognizes the sheer magnitude of this issue and encourages everyone to recognize the severity of this situation and be wary. “The civil war in the Middle East makes people feel disconnected; but, in reality, these kinds of things will never stop happening. We need to recognize how to be proactive in these instances,” Eno stated. “People are always displaced and you never know when you could be part of the problem,” he added.
“No one wants to ignore refugees but it becomes a ‘damned if you, damned if you don’t’ situation. There is no silver bullet,” Eno said. “Eventually it becomes a question of when people offer help, can they actually give it? How will it really improve the conditions and help the people in need? Offering help isn’t help if aid actually can’t be given,” Eno stated.

 
Several countries have been accepting of refugees by offering help but often these well-intentioned propositions are ultimately inconclusive and idealistic. Many in the Middle East and Africa have been giving asylum to refugees but their emergency funds are tragically underfunded and result in more dire situations for the individuals. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres said “people will continue to seek safety and survival further afield if the root causes of forced displacement are not addressed.” This ultimately results in the refugees having to move, once again, because of an unresolved solution to their initial problem.

 
This insanely ornate and complicated issue that involves millions and millions of lives cannot be simplified into a single news article in a high school newspaper. To comprehend its total severity, one would need to brace the storm and fight the war themselves.“Your goal shouldn’t be to know everything, because that’s impossible. But be aware of what you’re shielding yourself from,” Eno stated. “Following the news can be upsetting, but necessarily sobering,” he remarked.

 
The disturbing and unforgettable image of poor, young Aylan brought awareness to the very real crisis occurring in Syria and its influence all over the globe.“I think the reason the world reacted so viscerally to that image of that dead boy on the beach was that instinctively, we all knew that his blood was on all of our hands,” Green admitted. “When the oppressed and marginalized die, the people in power are at fault.”