[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 46 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SYRIAN CRISIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BRENDAN F. BOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2018

  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 
start of the eighth year for the Syrian crisis. We are no closer to a 
peaceful resolution to the conflict. Arguably, the situation has only 
gotten worse, particularly in Eastern Ghouta where the Assad regime is 
doubling down on its bombings and chemical attacks on civilians. The 
International Committee of the Red Cross proclaims that suffering in 
Eastern Ghouta has reached a ``critical point,'' stating that 
``ordinary people are once again trapped in a situation where life 
slowly becomes impossible and where goods and aid are severely 
limited.''
   Before the war, the country was, by Arab standards, solidly middle 
income with vibrant communities. Today, Syria's development has 
regressed by nearly four decades, and the Syrian economy has contracted 
by an estimated 40 percent. The majority of Syrians have lost their 
livelihoods. School attendance has dropped over 50 percent with more 
than two million children now out of school. An estimated 13.5 million 
people, including six million children, are in need of serious 
humanitarian assistance. 4.5 million of these people are in hard-to-
reach areas, including 540,000 people in eleven besieged areas. The 
numbers are staggering. And we all know the images are beyond words.
   Meanwhile, Assad and Putin continue to indiscriminately target 
civilians in all locations, as well as civilian hospitals, despite a 
late February UN resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities to 
enable humanitarian access to those in need of aid.
   These atrocities led me to introduce H. Res. 632, which condemns 
Assad and Putin for their attacks on hospitals and medical personnel in 
Syria, and calls on our Secretary of State to work with the 
international community to conduct investigations into these serious 
violations of international humanitarian law.
   The United States must send a clear message to Assad and Putin that 
the international community is watching and we will hold them 
accountable. As the fighting enters its eighth year, I urge this 
administration to complete a comprehensive U.S. strategy for Syria that 
specifically addresses civilian protection and these attacks on 
humanitarian service providers.

                          ____________________