Empathy for and outrage about Syria must be matched by action

We have all seen the heart-breaking pictures of children from the besieged city of Aleppo in Syria. Many of these children are dead, killed by rebel shelling or by government air strikes. Others are still alive, but their fate and that of the hundreds of thousands of people trapped inside Aleppo and in other parts of Syria, remains uncertain, resting on the cruelty of gunfire, with many of these Syrians expected to join other refugees trying to reach an unwelcoming Europe.

The consensus in world capitals is that what has been happening in Syria since the start of the civil war there in 2011, is a devastating humanitarian tragedy, resulting in the largest refugee crisis since the end of World War II. The international community, including the United Nations responded to this humanitarian catastrophe by providing shelter and assistance, and in some cases, refuge to the victims. But what is taking place in Syria is more than just another horrific humanitarian crisis, like the ones that have plagued sub-Saharan Africa in recent decades. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to argue that the Syrian refugee crisis already has had a dramatic impact on the geopolitical and geoeconomic balance of power.

Indeed, the decision by the German government to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria and other parts of the Middle East into the country, and to urge other European Union (EU) members to follow its lead has shaken the political status quo in Europe. It ignited a political backlash from many citizens and in the process, strengthened the power of right-wing anti-immigration political parties on the continent.