Today’s story and photos in the Guardian have made me decide that I can’t sit back and do nothing any more. “Oooh isn’t it awful” tweets or Facebook posts are of absolutely no sodding use whatsoever to the people trying to survive in Aleppo.

So my question is, what is the most useful thing an ordinary person from the UK can do to help these people?

Is interested. But not hopeful.

1. Question EVERYTHING you are told in the media about Syria (from both sides). That includes today’s photos in the Guardian. Why release these images now? Why does the UK media carry these, and not the daily slew of images of corpses and mutilated bodies caused by both sides, which you can find on alternative media?

2. Read into the history of the conflict. Read about US foreign policy since World War 2. Read about the Shia / Sunni conflict in the Middle East. Read about Israel’s relationship to Saudi and the US, compared to its closer Shia neighbours (Iran, Syria). Ask, who is really fighting who? Its not as simple as the mass media tell us.

3. Write to your MP and demand that they vote against any future armed conflicts in the Middle East. Ask them instead to commit to humanitarian support instead.

4. Donate any spare cash you have to charities which are supporting the real victims of the Middle East wars; women, children and the elderly.

So, 4) then.

1. Question EVERYTHING you are told in the media about Syria (from both sides). That includes today’s photos in the Guardian. Why release these images now? Why does the UK media carry these, and not the daily slew of images of corpses and mutilated bodies caused by both sides, which you can find on alternative media?

2. Read into the history of the conflict. Read about US foreign policy since World War 2. Read about the Shia / Sunni conflict in the Middle East. Read about Israel’s relationship to Saudi and the US, compared to its closer Shia neighbours (Iran, Syria). Ask, who is really fighting who? Its not as simple as the mass media tell us.

3. Write to your MP and demand that they vote against any future armed conflicts in the Middle East. Ask them instead to commit to humanitarian support instead.

4. Donate any spare cash you have to charities which are supporting the real victims of the Middle East wars; women, children and the elderly.

I don’t have a problem with any of what you say but I’d like to save the politics for when there aren’t civilians with no food or water living in rubble in Aleppo.

I will of course make a charity donation (which one?) but there must be more a person can do…

Sadly not much in the short term other than research the humanitarian charities that are running supplies in.

In the longer term, stop voting for politicians who still think that bombing the crap out of other countries will help, also vote for politicians that understand massive wealth gaps and poverty are pretty much the root cause of such things and hope that they can work out how to have a good balance of social equality and wealth promotion.

Edit: Democracy and open voting around the world will help, no dictatorships or royal families.

Seriously over optimistic, charity donations maybe best unless anyone has any ideas about positive campaigning that isn’t Facebook whining 🙁

(which one?)

UNICEF or Red Cross at a guess.

On the much more serious commitment end of the spectrum, there are (or will be) a large number of refugee minors who need fostering and/or adoption.

Yep I’ll have a look at those two charities, among others. I’ll also have a look at refugee services locally and see what they need. I teach English. Maybe I could help out that way, although it doesn’t help people still in Syria.

Donate. I’ve been donating to MSF, going to auction a Brompton as soon as I get it built up.

Longer term, don’t vote for anyone who thought bombing Syria was a good idea. Or any of the other disastrous wars in the Middle East. And tell them why you’re not voting for them.

accept a shedload more refugees would seem the most constructive action.

Brutally, the poor bastards actually in Aleppo (and elsewhere) are essentially *****d until the wider political and even wider geopolitical issues begin to be resolved. The only practical help that I can see is to fund (or volunteer for) the charities that are attempting to get food, medicine etc through to them.

Volunteering at local refugee services is an excellent way to help the ones who have managed to get out. Being an English teacher will make you very popular I would imagine.

It’s a proxy war being fought between at least 5 factions: Sunni/Saudi/Qatari alliance, Shia/Iran/Hezbollah, Assad/Alawite/Russia, Isis (funded by Saudi/Qataris) and Kurds – UK, US, EU and NATO prevaricated too long at the beginning that it would now require a massive military and dangerous effort to have any meaningful impact. Russia also using it as a bit of a shop-window for their hardware to the Iranians. Agree that NGOs like Red Cross, MSF would be the agencies likely to have the best impact.

Well, UK aid agencies are helping to fund humanitarian relief efforts in Syria so donating to a charity currently working there would be a big help.

Write to your MPs asking what the UK is doing to alleviate the crisis there, aside from military action. The more of us that do this means that hopefully another option other than guns and bombs will be considered.

nuke the middle east – gets rid of every problem

Ice bucket or 22 press up challenge on FB?

also vote for politicians that understand massive wealth gaps and poverty are pretty much the root cause of such things and hope that they can work out how to have a good balance of social equality and wealth promotion.

There have been plenty of studies that have shown that wealth inequality has nothing to do with Islamist terrorism.

Edit: Democracy and open voting around the world will help, no dictatorships or royal families.

And how do you think dictators entrenched with the military and ruling classes are to be gotten rid of? By sitting in roads braiding each others hair and waffling on about “Hope and Change”?

My wife and a few friends managed to collect enough food, medicine and clothes to fill a shipping container and send it to Syria. If you want to act, act. If you want to moan, moan.
You don’t need UNICEF to do it for you.

Charitable donations. MCF is a good one.

The UK is the second largest donar supporting Syrian Refugees after the US. So our government is acting and using our taxes to do so.

If you believe a solution is for the UK to accept more refugees then you can write to your MP to say so

“Volunteering at local refugee services is an excellent way to help the ones who have managed to get out.”

This is the best way you can get involved in directly helping people. Many refugees here aren’t entitled to any state aid, until their status has been confirmed, so are completely reliant on charity. Simple things, like just accompanying people to appointments. meetings etc can be immensely supportive. Donating unwanted/surplus clothing etc is of course always welcome. And a bike can help someone get around more, save money on transport costs. An old ‘phone with a PAYG SIM (obviously with a few quid on it) can be invaluable.

TomW1987; the OP is asking how they can help people. Save your polemic for another thread, eh? Thanks.