Night-time satellite imagery paints a sad picture of Syria’s enduring conflict
Satellite technology presents unique picture of effects of ongoing conflict
Over the four years that researcher Xi Li has watched Syria’s civil war unfold through night-time satellite imagery, he has seen the pinpricks of light that dotted the north and east fade and the Mediterranean coast darken until 83 per cent of the country’s lights have gone out.
From a vantage point that few everyday people have seen, Xi has produced a chilling measurement of a crisis that shows no sign of ending.
As the civil war moves into its fifth year, a global coalition of human rights and humanitarian groups released Li’s analysis on Wednesday and demanded a comprehensive aid effort.
“Satellite data never tell lies,” the Chinese-born Xi, a visiting scholar at the University of Maryland’s Department of Geographic Sciences, said.
“The night images are very unbelievable. The Syrian people need help.”
He has measured the levels of night-time light across Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. His findings were published last year in the International Journal of Remote Sensing and came to the attention of the coalition #withSyria after a friend who does similar work at Columbia University put them in touch.