Syria conflict: The things Syrians take with them

The war in Syria has lasted for five years so far and claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people.

The fighting between the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels has forced more than 11 million people from their homes.

Of these, about 2.7 million are now living in Turkey. Three of these people told us which of their personal possessions they grabbed before fleeing the violence.

They receive help from the charity International Medical Corps - which first spoke to them as part of their Things We Carry project, funded through humanitarian aid from the European Union.

Here are the things that the refugees take with them when they flee the fighting and destruction

BBC Story Here

A total tragedy - and it's all our doing. I lived and worked in Bahrain and Dubai from 1984 to 1998 and stayed out there through both Gulf wars.

It is clear to anyone who has lived out there and travelled through the Middle East that trying to impose democracy on Muslim tribes at war with one another over centuries old differences - will never work. We may not like their cultures, social standards and the wicked elements of their religion, but interference from the West is not welcome.  The result has been the chaos we have caused - we should simply have left them alone to get on with it and slaughter each other.

We are too stubborn to recognise that the best solution for Syria is for Assad to gain control again. Putin isn't stupid - he can see that. We are victims of the USA thinking it is the World's policeman and it can trample on other nations who don't comply with our standards.

Unfortunately, much damage has been done to our society - we are now riven with differing ideologies in our own Country. We have let loose extremists of every type, (left, right, liberal, Muslim, Christian, Brexit, Remainers etc) amongst us and there is now no going back.

Quite agree with all you say Alan...tragic and very sad.

AlanHo wrote:

A total tragedy - and it's all our doing. I lived and worked in Bahrain and Dubai from 1984 to 1998 and stayed out there through both Gulf wars.

It is clear to anyone who has lived out there and travelled through the Middle East that trying to impose democracy on Muslim tribes at war with one another over centuries old differences - will never work. We may not like their cultures, social standards and the wicked elements of their religion, but interference from the West is not welcome.  The result has been the chaos we have caused - we should simply have left them alone to get on with it and slaughter each other.

We are too stubborn to recognise that the best solution for Syria is for Assad to gain control again. Putin isn't stupid - he can see that. We are victims of the USA thinking it is the World's policeman and it can trample on other nations who don't comply with our standards.

Unfortunately, much damage has been done to our society - we are now riven with differing ideologies in our own Country. We have let loose extremists of every type, (left, right, liberal, Muslim, Christian, Brexit, Remainers etc) amongst us and there is now no going back.

It has long been my belief that this is the main reason the Muslims hate the west.

The Muslims I worked with were in the main nice moderate people - many had been educated in the UK or USA and had taken a bride home with them. Some would cheat during Ramadan and quite a few drank alcohol. They were a happy a free thinking lot. 

After the Gulf wars - a change crept in. The Shiites started to cause trouble and there were regular riots against the ruling Sunni Royal family. Us westerners didn't feel particularly concerned or unsafe, but we kept away from the trouble spots.

Slowly but surely I noticed that more and more of the formerly westernised arabs started to revert to traditional dress and their western wives no longer had much freedom and were also wearing traditional arab clothes. My staff gradually lost their smiles, no longer drank alcohol and strictly complied with Ramadan under the watchful eye of the muslim thought police.

Working there was no longer a pleasure - so I resigned and came home.

Now what do I see - the same process here in the UK. It's truly dreadful and I feel so sorry for my grand-children who will reap the worst of this slide into a Sharia State.