With the US launch of a missile strike on Syria, the Trump administration has escalated a war that has already devastated millions. MADRE denounces this attack and calls for an immediate halt to US military action against Syria.
Trump cited suspected chemical attacks on civilians as the pretext for this attack. If his objective were truly to protect Syrian civilians, he would prioritize diplomatic efforts to renew and strengthen a peace process. He would retract all executive orders that block refugees from accessing safety in the US. He would reverse his proposals to cut funding for humanitarian aid, including for food aid and women’s reproductive health in war zones.
Instead, he has authorized military action that deepens conflict and endangers lives.
Chemical attacks are a war crime and a major violation of human rights, which require investigation and accountability through mechanisms of international law. This is the course that the international community must pursue, and there are clear avenues to do so. Instead, the Trump administration has chosen to launch retaliatory military strikes, which do not significantly hamper the capacity of the Assad regime to attack its civilians. In fact, such US strikes only worsen violence and volatility.
As in Syria, recent US military attacks have spread misery and chaos throughout the region. In Mosul, a US airstrike killed as many as 200 civilians in a single attack. In Yemen, US-sponsored attacks have pushed millions to the brink of starvation, and a planned attack on a major port threatens to trigger a famine. All the while, Trump has sought to remove restrictions on civilian casualties in US attacks.
We renew our commitment to support grassroots women’s organizations who are sustaining their communities through war, bringing urgent humanitarian aid and pushing for peace.
