The Impact of the Syrian Civil War
By: Kiara Barry
Clicks of cameras: gunshots, screaming, and terror as people run throughout the streets of Syria, wanting to have peace and security, while they battle to stay alive. With the current day conflict in Syria, not a day goes by without airstrikes, death, and fear. As photojournalists have captured more and more moments in time of the conflict and dangers the people of Syria face, and while people view those photographs on new articles, internet sites, and social media, they are impacted by the harsh reality of the Syrian civil war.
The Syrian Civil War started in March in 2011 and is currently still affecting the war-torn nation. Violence started getting out of control and the protests then turned into a civil war as people battled government forces to take over cities, towns, and the countryside. There are two opposing sides, the Assad Regime and the rebel groups, who are both trying to gain control and get rid of the abrasive government. Currently, there have been about 220,000 deaths and more as this conflict persists. There have been many human rights violations with the war crimes such as murder, torture, and rape. Also, the government and rebel groups have been accused of blocking accessibility to food, water, and health services. People are trying to survive using whatever they can to live on throughout this conflict. With the bombings leading to death, people are constantly living on the edge. Syrian war photographer, Saeed al Batal said, “Its been like hell - like, over 24 to 45 airstrikes a day on the city.”
In the heart of all the danger, photojournalists shooting the Syrian civil war are risking their lives to capture this tragic conflict. As a bomb explodes down the street, their cameras are clicking with fear pounding in their chests, capturing a moment in time of what is really going on. These photographers capture what the people of Syria have to live through every day in the most dangerous place to report. Images of fires, rebel groups, buildings blasted down to the ground, injured children, death, bombings, executions, and anger all make up this never ending nightmare. Photographs capture the emotions these people feel with the weight on their shoulders as they try their hardest to survive. Photojournalist Lynsey Addario said, “No matter what kind of story you’re trying to tell, you have to get in there and be intimately involved with your subjects. You have to care.” Being a photojournalist has a huge influence on their mental state as they record the rawest form of dispair and witness the hardest of truths, and many people feel helpless just being a photographer. Greg Marinovich stated that, “You’re not just a journalist or a human being, you’re a mixture of both, and to try to separate the two is complicated.” These photographers in Syria want to show the best and worse faces of humankind that they encounter. As they risk their lives venturing into Syria, at least 72 journalists have been killed since the conflict started in 2011. Many people have been captured, put in jail, and tortured, and even though there are many times they are afraid, they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t love it.
The biggest impact these photographs have would be on the people that view them outside of the country of Syria. With the advancements of technology throughout the years, these images have been more accessible than ever. With the internet, computers, smartphones, news articles, and social media, people have been opened up to the reality of wars outside of their homes, cities, and countries. Although there are photoshopped images out there, there are a lot of raw images that capture the true burden of this civil war. Behind the camera, photojournalist Lynsey Addario, has traveled and taken many photographs throughout her life. One photograph she took in Syria was of children in school, hiding under their desks, as the teacher yelled, "Airstrike!" This image captured the simple fear these students go through as their hands grasp their desks with their hearts pounding. Another image, by Manu Brabo, is an image of a father holding his dead child, who is covered in blood soaked clothing. The man is holding this child close to him with his face contorted with sadness as he starts to cry in agony, as this moment in time changed his whole life.
When the public sees these images, they feel a pain. An indescribable pain that aches in their heart as half of them wants to help and the other half wants to cry. There is sadness, heartfelt love, and anger that people feel towards these photographs. Seeing a dead child covered from head to toe in blood, lying lifeless on the ground of rubble and dust, sparks feelings of shock and sickness in the people that don’t experience this in their lives. Photojournalists take these photographs to tell a story and to show people what is actually going on in front of their eyes. It is important to see these photographs to bring awareness to the problems in our world that we share. It is hard to see such a burden on humanity throughout the world and it really leaves people thinking if where they live is going to be the next place.
War photography captures the raw emotions of the people, the hopelessness of the conflict, and the out of control violence going on today in Syria. As photojournalists risk their lives everyday to capture these images of the pain and suffering, they are also impacted as they witness the hardest things to ever see. As fear courses through their veins, they share the grim reality of war to the public eye to let people face the reality of it all.
The Syrian Civil War started in March in 2011 and is currently still affecting the war-torn nation. Violence started getting out of control and the protests then turned into a civil war as people battled government forces to take over cities, towns, and the countryside. There are two opposing sides, the Assad Regime and the rebel groups, who are both trying to gain control and get rid of the abrasive government. Currently, there have been about 220,000 deaths and more as this conflict persists. There have been many human rights violations with the war crimes such as murder, torture, and rape. Also, the government and rebel groups have been accused of blocking accessibility to food, water, and health services. People are trying to survive using whatever they can to live on throughout this conflict. With the bombings leading to death, people are constantly living on the edge. Syrian war photographer, Saeed al Batal said, “Its been like hell - like, over 24 to 45 airstrikes a day on the city.”
In the heart of all the danger, photojournalists shooting the Syrian civil war are risking their lives to capture this tragic conflict. As a bomb explodes down the street, their cameras are clicking with fear pounding in their chests, capturing a moment in time of what is really going on. These photographers capture what the people of Syria have to live through every day in the most dangerous place to report. Images of fires, rebel groups, buildings blasted down to the ground, injured children, death, bombings, executions, and anger all make up this never ending nightmare. Photographs capture the emotions these people feel with the weight on their shoulders as they try their hardest to survive. Photojournalist Lynsey Addario said, “No matter what kind of story you’re trying to tell, you have to get in there and be intimately involved with your subjects. You have to care.” Being a photojournalist has a huge influence on their mental state as they record the rawest form of dispair and witness the hardest of truths, and many people feel helpless just being a photographer. Greg Marinovich stated that, “You’re not just a journalist or a human being, you’re a mixture of both, and to try to separate the two is complicated.” These photographers in Syria want to show the best and worse faces of humankind that they encounter. As they risk their lives venturing into Syria, at least 72 journalists have been killed since the conflict started in 2011. Many people have been captured, put in jail, and tortured, and even though there are many times they are afraid, they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t love it.
The biggest impact these photographs have would be on the people that view them outside of the country of Syria. With the advancements of technology throughout the years, these images have been more accessible than ever. With the internet, computers, smartphones, news articles, and social media, people have been opened up to the reality of wars outside of their homes, cities, and countries. Although there are photoshopped images out there, there are a lot of raw images that capture the true burden of this civil war. Behind the camera, photojournalist Lynsey Addario, has traveled and taken many photographs throughout her life. One photograph she took in Syria was of children in school, hiding under their desks, as the teacher yelled, "Airstrike!" This image captured the simple fear these students go through as their hands grasp their desks with their hearts pounding. Another image, by Manu Brabo, is an image of a father holding his dead child, who is covered in blood soaked clothing. The man is holding this child close to him with his face contorted with sadness as he starts to cry in agony, as this moment in time changed his whole life.
When the public sees these images, they feel a pain. An indescribable pain that aches in their heart as half of them wants to help and the other half wants to cry. There is sadness, heartfelt love, and anger that people feel towards these photographs. Seeing a dead child covered from head to toe in blood, lying lifeless on the ground of rubble and dust, sparks feelings of shock and sickness in the people that don’t experience this in their lives. Photojournalists take these photographs to tell a story and to show people what is actually going on in front of their eyes. It is important to see these photographs to bring awareness to the problems in our world that we share. It is hard to see such a burden on humanity throughout the world and it really leaves people thinking if where they live is going to be the next place.
War photography captures the raw emotions of the people, the hopelessness of the conflict, and the out of control violence going on today in Syria. As photojournalists risk their lives everyday to capture these images of the pain and suffering, they are also impacted as they witness the hardest things to ever see. As fear courses through their veins, they share the grim reality of war to the public eye to let people face the reality of it all.