While world leaders were able to agree on a no cease-fire agreement in Syria (The New York Times and Reuters 02/28/2016), thousands of Syrian refugees are continuously fleeing to Europe in search of security and a better life. Given the length of the Syrian conflict and the world's progress to contain it, how is it possible that this crisis can develop this extensively? The emergence of ISIS and other terrorist groups, as well as the Syrian government's ruthless tactics, have made the situation uncontrollable, and the current situation has been spilling over to Europe in the form of the refugee crisis.
If there is a clear and present humanitarian crisis, why can't the world body act swiftly to contain the situation? Couldn't the United Nations Security Council deploy security forces within Syria to directly take control of the dire situation?
The reason for the slow response from the global community is due to dark politics, which are driven by reasons that are not revealed to the general public.
The United States and Russia have competing interest in Syria, and the question of which country will a sphere of influence in that region is one major reason why the Syrian conflict has extended to this day. While there is no question about the commitment of both the US and Russia on wanting to stabilize the region quickly, the issue of the means of stabilizing the region (i.e. which rebel groups to support and which terrorist groups to attack) is impeding swift action.
If the situation in Syria is not contained quickly, then the spillover effects will intensify as Europe faces a prolonged migrant crisis. The US and Russia ought to contain the situation by the means of setting up a United Nations security zone in Syria which is under the United Nations Security Council's jurisdiction. Syria desperately needs stability or else people will continue to flee or get caught in the conflict. The future political question of Syria ought to be tabled and the international community should focus on the immediate needs of the Syrian people.
