Syria has gone dark. Not figuratively—although an argument could be made for that too—but literally. Satellite imagery shows that in the four years since the crisis in Syria began, 83 percent of the lights visible over the country have gone out.
The images underline the destruction that has been wrought on Syria and its people, by Assad’s government, armed groups and Da’esh. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and millions forced to flee, while others are illegally detained and tortured.
An international campaign launched by the #withSyria coalition stands in solidarity with those caught in the conflict. The coalition is a movement of 130 humanitarian and human rights organisations from around the world, including Amnesty International, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). The coalition, which analysed the satellite images with scientists at Wuhan University in China, has launched a global petition at withsyria.com, and a video, Afraid of the Dark.
