MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — The death toll in Syria continues to climb. Three more deaths were reported Monday as the year-old uprising there continues.
There’s a sizeable Syrian refugee population here in Middle Tennessee. They’ve been active in recent months, staging local rallies in support of the Syrian people.
Murfreesboro resident Lema Sbenaty is of Syrian ancestry and has family still living there. Her aunt’s home was badly damaged recently by government shelling.
Sbenaty says one of the greatest frustrations for Syrian refugees as they watch the tragedy unfold is just how little media attention the story is getting here in the U.S.
“Over ten-thousand people have died there and they deserve a lot of news coverage, but it’s not really getting that much. It’s upsetting to see that a lot of other things take precedence over it.”
United Nations envoy Kofi Annan is scheduled to give the Security Council a report on his mission to ease the Syrian crisis Monday. So far, international diplomacy has failed to stop the violence.