The Bridge over the Euphrates in Deir Ezzor before the war
The Cost of Life - Deir ez-Zor not
equal even in death.
A report
submitted by Dante Major January 8th 2017 adapted to English by
Marjorie.
The banks of
the Euphrates River since the dawn of history have always been a fertile
land. A land that has sustained its
population with richness of nutrition to keep all citizens strong and to
provide economic growth. Since the war
and the occupation of the criminals the world call Daesh, the beauty of this
land has been suffocated with siege and the dark shadows of death and
destruction cast up its bountiful being.
A double head monster casting darkness and evil upon the land from both
Assad’s regime battle on the revolutionaries and then the appearance of Daesh
or as many would like to call them Khawarij- dogs from hell. This area of Syria once free becoming
encapsulated with the brutality of occupation strangling the people with terror
and starvation. Hundreds of thousands
of people corralled, surrounded by evil abuse and harassment upon them. A
terror to force them into submission and keep them trapped in the land that
once has been their home and place of safety.
The country had regime borders within its wider geographical borders
that of the evil tyranny of Daesh. A
regime that prevented no one to exit or enter their manufactured patrolled
borders.
Citizens
that were once strong in health and the life of freedom they once had where
slowly weakened by siege, food becoming scarce and as the rare commodity that
if any food was made available, the prices were inflated in the black market
trading. Fuel for warmth as well as food
was limited. All resources that were the right of life denied so that people
become the victim of a slow weakening and journey towards death from
starvation. Starvation becoming a war tactic to destroy the perceived enemy. A proud people that had dignity in the land
that had once so readily sustained their lives were now to forage for food like
primitive man. Once able to feast and
entertain friends and family - now scrambling for what scraps of food and grain
could be got. In this their strength and
spirit weakening day by day. Not only
encapsulated in a ring of oppression but their spirit compressed in the lack of
freedom and the availability of the rights to sustenance. Trapped in
occupation.
The health
of the citizens began to cave in to the extreme conditions exerted upon them.
Many died out of the weakness of being deprived of food. The elderly were the
most vulnerable. Some of course had pre-existing medical conditions and needed
extra food, those with diabetes now struggling for nutrition and medical
support. Medical services became
strained and dwindled as hospitals and clinics came under attack. The
restricted Daesh borders prevented supplies from entry to ease the situation.
The Red Crescent tried to help but came under attack. Doctors and carers injured or killed in some
bizarre new trappings of this illegal war upon them.
Citizens
weakened by lack of nutrition became ill with vitamin deficiency diseases
causing neurological problems and night blindness. Scurvy from lack of vitamin C and with the
consequent reduced immune response from lack of nutrition and the stress,
diseases became rife. Poor sanitation
from destroyed infrastructure from the air strikes saw hepatitis and
gastro-enteritis epidemics. The pharmacy supplies rapidly became scarce with
emptying shelves of stock and what stock available coming at a heavy price.
Mother’s breastmilk dried and formula feed was needed but was in short supply,
so babies failed to thrive. Unclean water to mix the feed and sterilisation of
equipment meant further risk of disease.
A proud land and proud people ever more driven into primitive life with
little or no resources.
Living
conditions deteriorated and became more and more secluded as roads were closed.
The duration of the siege now intensifying in its ferocity as it entered a
third year. This unjust and inhumane siege imposing further and more
restriction on food. Food becoming more and more the tool of war to weaken and
kill its victims deprived of the basic human need for nutrition. Some supplies were smuggled in to become the
rare commodity of a black market to charge exorbitant prices – prices justified
by the smugglers to pay off the risk to smuggle through dangerous patrolled
borders. Where there was availability of basics bread and water deaths still
occurred some thirty cases of deaths documented from malnutrition and
starvation. But many suffering have not
been fully documented, the true figure and enormity of this siege to still be
fully uncovered. UN aid has not reached
the suffering but had been pilfered by Assad’s army. Some that got through exploited
by traders to charge for this free donated aid by the world in response to the
need. Some locals reported that costs
far exceeded the purchase capability as funds dwindled. Even herbs used in Syrian cooking that of
Thyme vastly inflated and oil and jams, sugar, flour basic groceries way out of
the reach to purchase. Yet all had been
sent out of good faith donation to help relieve the suffering. The continued
restriction on food brought more disease and suffering, skin lesions and
intestinal problems major symptoms. Then
on top of this were power cuts and the need to find water as water stations no
longer maintained. There was more than
enough chance for air corridors to drop supplies but all supplies that got
through were exploited so never achieved the goal of relieving the
suffering. Instead the wretched and
emaciated bodies were exploited by those wishing to cash in on their lives.
So what cost
life.
Horrors came
from both of these double headed monsters Khawarij Daesh and the Assad with
Putin now joining the regime. Horrendous
reports of young boys being recruited to the Khawarij/Daesh as soldiers of
their distorted deluded regime. Films
released of boys trained to behead captives under the delusion of twisted minds
that are traitors to Allah and the merciful compassionate message of the
faith. The citizens in shock and anger
that their peaceful faith that had held their community together in peace and
harmony now being twisted and distorted into the darkness of satanic crude and
barbaric practices. Practices that were
rife in the world before enlightenment to love, peace and harmony the message
all world religions bring to us all. The
toxic contamination of the message twisted with its tendrils based on fear,
oppression and suppression. A far cry
from the truth of the message to be selfless and merciful and discipline the
ego from creating darkness.
The true
Jihad to be a journey in self to rid of self and become one with Gods love. Allah Akbar yes the greatest the creator of
all the universe – so how could these dark clad criminals see themselves as
Islamic – the are pirates and sadistic with no concern over life and no respect
for the Divine creator of all. Traitors
of Allah and soldiers of Satanic forces to destroy not care and respect all
life. Horrific films released on youtube
for all to see and indeed their faces therefore their identity seen as they
bizarrely boast about their toxic poisonous filthy practices that are haram
beyond haram. Images that are hard to
watch and play in the mind has to how anyone can be callous and sadistic to do
this. Leaving all with the question who are these pirates and who is the
overall commander, where do they get their weapons and their dark uniforms.
Whose earthly wider agenda do they follow for they do not follow the peace and
love of Allah.
Then the
further horrors and assault on a once free people full of pride in their once
beautiful land. The terror shelling
airstrikes that did not discriminate the intended said target of Daesh but terrorised
those encapsulated by the criminal regime.
The civilians, the citizens became the target of the bombing. The area a
frenzy of killing from Daesh and the Assad and Russian airstrikes. The
sickening use of religions to justify this with Assad still performing prayers
in the mosques yet ordering killing of women and children, Russian air men
being “blessed” in some bizarre orthodox Christian baptism before they go and
drop bombs and chlorine gas on their victims.
Victims not only now encapsulated with closed roads but caught in a trap
of assault upon them. The innocent the ones under occupation the ones whose
land had been theirs to enjoy and live by now targets. Now homes and innocent lives had become part of
this illegal battleground.
Death from
starvation, death from disease, death from injury, death from attack, death
from a distorted occupation and repression, death became a sickening norm in a
once peaceful proud place. Women and
children with a right to be protected where victims of sickening attack from
airstrikes upon them. A blurring of who was the terrorists as bodies pulled
from rubble of once safe homes that had housed once happy families with lives
to live and dreams to dreams. Does the
one performing an airstrike on innocents now become the terrorist? Certainly
they become war criminals to Geneva Convention article 51.
The area
destroyed and disjointed in a chaotic mess of all the evil spilled upon this
land, a toxic poisonous evil that led men to not only destroy but to exploit the
victims. The blockade intensified the
strangulation intensified the means to escape there but exploited with high
costs to governor and senior officials.
What cost life?
Some were
forced into recruitment into the Assad regime army offered the incentive of
food, an easy offer to accept for those starving. Restrictive policies and laws
from the lawless and those that have even murdered to enforce more torment and
strife on the remaining survivors. Survivors a term to denote those still alive
in hell and in the stolen city of Dier Ezzor. Stolen of its beauty and its
generosity of its land and its people to become unequal in life and unequal in
death. Oppressed & Suppressed.
What cost
life?
The Bridge now with War..
