Global IssuesSyria Unrest
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Introduction
Syria is one of the oldest places where civilization has thought to have started. Its capital, Damascus, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Throughout history it has seen many changes, violent and otherwise.
Today it is comprised of a number of ethnic groups, mostly Arab, though a reasonable number of Kurds, Armenians are also present. There have also been a number of Iraqi refugees and the main Arab group are themselves from different sects and denominations.
Around January 2011, following on from the Arab Spring where protests against ruling regimes erupted in a number of Middle East countries, protesters in Syria came out demanding President Bashar al-Assad and his government step down. In response, Assad sent in troops with some cities and regions being besieged for weeks and months. Both pro and anti-government protest gatherings have at times been large.
Criticism of Syria’s crackdown has been quite widespread. The Arab League has responded by suspending Syria’s membership. Syria claims that it is fighting an insurgency that is terrorist by nature and claimed Al Qaeda is involved. It has not been possible to verify that claim so many see it as a cynical excuse.
The ruling regime is a sect of Shia, so has support from Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, while the opposition is largely Sunni, thus receiving support from other Middle East countries, such as Saudi Arabia and others.
Thousands have been killed — civilians and armed combatants. Some are asking the West for a military intervention like there was in Libya, but the US in particular is not keen on another military intervention even though they have been openly hostile and critical of the Syrian ruling regime for many years.
China and Russia also have close ties with Syria and to date have not been keen on any action condemning Syria and have even vetoed some actions. Some papers have reported Iran and others helping Syria with weapons, while others also mentioned the opposition being armed by the West.
Mainstream media coverage is of course part of the issue; understandably the brutal regime crackdown has been met with shock, horror, etc. But the coverage has also been one-sided in the sense that similar types of violence committed by US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan do not receive similar criticism, but much flatter and measured reporting instead. Media Lens covers this point in much more detail pointing out many propaganda problems in mainstream media coverage and is worth reading.
News stories from IPS
Below is a list of stories from Inter Press Service related to the Syrian uprising
Will those responsible for atrocities in Syria finally face justice?
- UN News
Hopes are rising that, with the support of the United Nations, the architects of the brutal former regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria will eventually be held accountable for their crimes.
Security Council briefed on challenges to peacekeeping in Lebanon, Syria
- UN News
Two senior UN peacekeeping officials briefed the Security Council on Friday on recent developments in Lebanon and the occupied Syrian Golan, and the challenges facing “blue helmets” serving there.
UN human rights chief hails ‘signs of new beginnings’ in Lebanon and Syria
- UN News
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Syria on Thursday, acknowledging the traumas both nations have endured over decades.
UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus
- UN News
The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has described the unbearable suffering of former detainees under the deposed Assad regime and insisted that he stands with the people of the war-torn nation as they “rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”.
The Fall of Assad is a Cautionary Tale of Blowback
- Inter Press Service
Jan 14 (IPS) - A regime built on terror, ruled by fear and sustained by foreign proxy forces crumbled in less than a fortnight. In the end, the foundations of the House of Assad (1970–2024) rested on the shifting sands of time. In the good ol’ days, despots could retire with their plundered loot into comfortable lifestyles in Europe’s pleasure haunts. No longer. The reverse damascene expulsion has seen the Assads scurry to safety to Moscow.
Syria emergency: Four children a day killed by leftover explosives
- UN News
Syria’s lethal legacy of landmines and other explosives left over from years of conflict has led to the deaths of over 100 children in the last month alone, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, calling on the international community to urgently support country-wide demining projects.
First Person: Syrian migrant shipwreck survivor vows to reconstruct shattered country
- UN News
Syrian refugee Doaa Al Zamel’s harrowing tale of surviving a deadly shipwreck brought the horrors of fleeing war to a worldwide audience when it was told in the book “A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea” in 2017.
Syria has real opportunity to ‘move from the darkness to the light’
- UN News
Syrians have high expectations for their country, and a strong desire for people from across the social spectrum to come together and forge a new constitution, which must begin with an inclusive “national dialogue”.
More than 125,000 refugees return to Syria in desperate conditions
- UN News
A month since the fall of the Assad regime, more than 125,000 refugees have returned to Syria “full of hope after years of exile”, only to find themselves confronted by desperate conditions, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.
UN Commission notes new sense of optimism in Syria during first-ever visit
- UN News
A team from the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria concluded a first visit to the country on Thursday, taking crucial steps to promote dialogue and engagement with the new caretaker government.
MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Security Council meets on Syria, plus Gaza and Lebanon updates
- UN News
While the war in Gaza grinds on with dozens of civilians already reportedly killed and injured so far this year - and as the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon largely holds - hopes are still high for a successful transition of power in Damascus following the overthrow of the Assad regime, although needs and challenges are immense. On Wednesday, ambassadors held their first meeting of the year on Syria, with all eyes on a potential lifting of sanctions. App users can follow live here.
‘A Syrian-led future’: Security Council highlights priorities ahead
- UN News
The Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss political and humanitarian developments exactly a month on from the collapse of the Assad regime. The transitional authorities also outlined their vision for the country’s future for the first time in a major international forum.
World News in Brief: Killings of Alawites in Syria, executions in Iran, human rights defenders in Central African Republic
- UN News
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has urged restraint in Syria, amid reports that some individuals from the country’s Alawite community and other minority groups have been targeted and killed.
Syria crisis: UN teams support cholera vaccination in northeastern camps
- UN News
In northeast Syria, UN teams pressed ahead with a lifesaving cholera vaccine campaign in Al Hol detention camp complex on Friday, despite rumours of attacks by ISIL extremists and uncertainty across the war-torn country, following the overthrow of the Assad regime.
Over 115,000 Syrians have returned home since end of Assad dictatorship
- UN News
More than 115,000 people have reportedly returned to Syria from countries such as Türkiye, Jordan and Lebanon since 8 December – the fall of the Assad regime - the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.
Aid trucks deliver food to northwest Syria
- UN News
Humanitarians continue to respond to needs in Syria as security and logistical conditions permit, the UN said on Tuesday.
UN support continues in Syria and Lebanon
- UN News
The UN Special Envoy for Syria continues to uphold the need for a Syrian-led transition in his ongoing talks on the way forward for the country.
Health needs in Syria worsen amid winter conditions
- UN News
Health challenges in northwest Syria have escalated due to harsh winter conditions, exacerbating the vulnerability of displaced populations, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)-led Health Cluster reported on Friday.
Syria: UN health agency launches $56.4 million appeal to meet critical needs
- UN News
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday launched a $56.4 million flash appeal to address urgent health needs in Syria, where years of conflict have cripped the healthcare system.
Syria: UN investigators call for protecting evidence amid worsening humanitarian crisis
- UN News
The humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to escalate, with millions struggling to access basic resources as fuel shortages and damaged infrastructure hinder relief efforts, the UN reported on Monday.
UN Commits to Supporting Syria in Political Transition, Adapting Humanitarian Support
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 20 (IPS) - In overthrowing Bashar al-Assad and his regime, Syria reaches the process of re-affirming its sovereignty, a process that the United Nations chief asserts must be led by the Syrian people.
Syria transition may fail if support lifeline is delayed, says IOM chief
- UN News
The head of the UN migration agency stressed on Friday that Syria is in no position to take back millions of Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime, while there is an urgent need to “re-evaluate” sanctions impacting the war-ravaged country.
Syria: Rights investigators call for protection of evidence, including mass grave sites
- UN News
In a landmark mission to Syria, the UN probe into the most serious rights violations committed in the country since 2011 has called on caretaker authorities to take immediate measures to protect mass grave sites and preserve critical evidence.
What Does the End of Assads Regime Mean for Syria and the Middle East?
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19 (IPS) - The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came about following a series of coordinated offensive missions spearheaded by the Syrian opposition which resulted in the seizure of the capital city Damascus. In the days following the fall of Assad’s government, the Syrian Civil War has reached a phase of heightened insecurity, plunging Syria into a state of nationwide insecurity.
Syria’s new ‘flame of hope’ must not be extinguished: Guterres
- UN News
A flame of hope burns bright today in Syria – but if it’s not carefully managed by both Syrians themselves and the international community, it risks being extinguished.
Reconstruction and vital repairs underway in Syria, as ‘security conditions’ permit
- UN News
Around 1.3 million Syrians have received food aid in the past three weeks across Syria from the UN and partners, as the restoration of key services begins in some of the relatively stable areas of the country.
Syria: UN envoy concludes talks in Damascus, citing hope for democratic future
- UN News
The UN Special Envoy for Syria concluded talks in Damascus on Wednesday, expressing optimism that the fall of the Assad regime could mark the start of a peaceful and democratic transition for the shattered country, while acknowledging challenges remain.
Middle East crisis: Live updates as Security Council meets on Syria
- UN News
Senior UN officials have been meeting representatives of the new caretaker Government in Damascus in the past few days, following the overthrow of the Assad regime. This morning in New York, the Security Council just began its first meeting on the future of Syria, where the UN Special Envoy and the UN's emergency relief chief are briefing ambassadors. UN News app users can follow our coverage here.
Syria crisis: ‘Key priority’ is preserving evidence of crimes, say UN investigators
- UN News
The historic shift of power in Syria and the possibility of finally accessing evidence of horrific human rights violations could bring accountability closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved - a top UN investigator said on Tuesday.
Syria faces uncertain future after regime’s collapse amid humanitarian crises
- UN News
At a historic crossroads, just 11 days after the collapse of the Assad regime, Syria faces a fragile mix of hope and chaos, plagued by a volatile security situation and a worsening humanitarian crisis, top UN officials told the Security Council on Tuesday.
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