Yes, there’s still a war in Syria. The fact we could forget that is horrifying

Fatigue is inevitable and it is human. But when it comes to global news events, it is perhaps the cruellest part of international response, writes David Harding

The world was for so many years transfixed by Syria but memory is short, and indifference is captivating (AFP/Getty)

“Hang on,” said the anchor for the radio channel I won’t name. “Is there still a war in Syria? Is it still going on?”

My heart sunk. I was talking about the desperate plight of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, a country in the grips of one of the worst economic collapses in modern history.

Unable to feed their children, or keep a roof over their heads, families were risking their lives by taking rickety boats to Cyprus. I was explaining that they were forced to do this as they could not go home because Syria was still an unsafe active war zone.

It’s part of my job to keep the spotlight of the world on these seemingly never-ending conflicts. When I was asked by the interviewer whether Syria was still indeed war-torn, I felt in many ways that I had failed.

Fatigue is inevitable and it is human. But when it comes to global news events, it is perhaps the cruellest part of international response after indifference. I worry the pace of the 24-hour news cycle only makes it worse, that maybe we feed that monster of short attention spans.

The world was for so many years transfixed by Syria but memory is short, and indifference is captivating – so much so that a lot of the warning signs seen in Russia’s military conduct there were ignored, which in my opinion laid the groundwork for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

Right now the world is still comparatively transfixed on what is going on in Ukraine, but I worry how long that will last. I fear this country that has been through so much and its displaced population will all too soon be swallowed up in the malaise of news. It too will become an afterthought.

And that is where the danger lies because without the focus of the world, and the accountability that brings with it, so much worse could take place unchallenged. And we will not learn from our mistakes.

It is essential for journalists to keep these stories alive so that civilians are not forgotten. As part of that, we need to keep exposing human rights violations and crimes, so that perpetrators can be held to account.

Readers also, I hope, will not let their fatigue dull their eyes. Whether reporter or reader, we have a responsibility to do this.

Yours,

David Harding

International editor