LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The effects of what has been happening overseas in Syria can also be felt here in the U.S., and in Arkansas.
The Syrian Emergency Task Force is a local group out of Conway that has been working for years to help overseas.
The executive director, Moaz Moustafa, is making his way into Damascus after he spent years working to get aid to Syrians. We talked to him on the phone and he spoke about the elation people are feeling right now.
Over the weekend, Syrian rebels overtook the Assad regime— a dictatorship that had been in charge for half a century. Footage has shown celebrations of people as they look to the future.
"What is going on right now in Syria is complete joy," said Natalie Larrison, the director of humanitarian programs for the Syrian Emergency Task Force.
Arkansas is home to the Syrian Emergency Task Force which has helped people impacted by the dictatorship and unrest for years.
"We are excited. These are Syrians fleeing Syria. That's a very important message," said Jerry Adams, the board of director chair for the Syrian Emergency Task Force.
The Assad family has ruled the country since the 70's with allies, such as Russia and Iran. The country has also been in a civil war for more than a decade fueling further unrest.
"The situation right now is extremely volatile. The Trump administration and the new administration have said they don't want to get engaged at all in Syria, but the reality is, we the United States cannot afford a failed state in Syria," said Bill Topich, Pulaski Academy's social sciences department chair.
So, what happens next?
The world has its eyes on how Syria moves forward as several surrounding countries and some Islamic extremist groups, like ISIS could be looking to decide the next power grab.
"We care very deeply about the Syrian people and what that means to the rest of the world when you can look outside of yourself and see that we all deserve - education, healthcare, rights, [and] dignity," said Larrison.
However, everything going on in Syria is not expected to have any impact on the U.S. economy.
Topich said that any oil America gets through the northern part of Syria is primarily controlled by Turkey.