Why does syria have a civil war

Iran is believed to have deployed hundreds of troops and spent billions of dollars to help Mr Assad. Thousands of Shia Muslim militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran - mostly from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, but also Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen - have also fought alongside the Syrian army. But they have prioritised non-lethal assistance since jihadists became the dominant force in the armed opposition. A US-led global coalition has also carried out air strikes and deployed special forces in Syria since to help an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces SDF capture territory once held by IS militants in the north-east.

Turkey is a major supporter of the opposition, but its focus has been on using rebel factions to contain the Kurdish YPG militia that dominates the SDF, accusing it of being an extension of a banned Kurdish rebel group in Turkey.

Turkish troops and allied rebels have seized stretches of territory along Syria's northern border and intervened to stop an all-out assault by government forces on the last opposition stronghold of Idlib.

Saudi Arabia , which is keen to counter Iranian influence, armed and financed the rebels at the start of the war, as did the kingdom's Gulf rival, Qatar. Israel , meanwhile, has been so concerned by what it calls Iran's "military entrenchment" in Syria and shipments of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah and other Shia militias that it has conducted air strikes with increasing frequency in an attempt to thwart them. As well as causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, more than 2. More than half of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million have fled their homes.

Some 6. One million Syrian refugee children have been born in exile. As of January , More than 12 million were struggling to find enough food each day and half a million children were chronically malnourished. In the past year the humanitarian crisis has been compounded by an unprecedented economic downturn, which saw the value of Syria's currency decline drastically and food prices reach historic highs.

In addition, the country has suffered a Covid outbreak, whose true extent is not known because of limited testing capacity and a devastated healthcare system. Entire neighbourhoods and vital infrastructure across the country also remain in ruins after a decade of fighting. Russia has vetoed 16 Security Council Resolutions related to Syria, and it was backed by China on many of those occasions. President Joe Biden's administration said last week that Assad had done nothing to restore his legitimacy, and it rejected any restoration of official ties with his government "anytime soon.

In a statement marking a decade of civil war, U. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week that while Syria had fallen off front pages around the world, "the situation remains a living nightmare.

Assad and his regime's war crimes. Please enter email address to continue. Please enter valid email address to continue. Chrome Safari Continue. Although many complicated motives led to the Syrian civil war, one event, known as the Arab Spring , stands out as perhaps the most significant trigger for the conflict.

In early , a series of political and economic protests in Egypt and Tunisia broke out. These successful revolts, dubbed the Arab Spring, served as an inspiration for pro-democracy activists in Syria. However, in March of that year, 15 Syrian schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing graffiti that was inspired by the Arab Spring. One of the boys was killed.

The arrests sparked outrage and demonstrations throughout Syria. Citizens demanded the release of the remaining children, along with greater freedoms for all people in the country. But the government, headed by President Bashar al-Assad , responded by killing and arresting hundreds of protestors. Shock and anger began to spread throughout Syria, and many demanded that Assad resign. When he refused, war broke out between his supporters and his opponents. President Barack Obama stated in a speech.

Many refugees live under tents with only basic essentials which are not enough to guard against harsh weather conditions. Very few are employed and, 10 years later, continue to depend on humanitarian assistance.

Their status is uncertain and many children have become young adults without a proper education or a stable home. For some, their houses, villages and cities have been destroyed and they have little to return to. To return to Syria risks intimidation, violence and imprisonment. Forced disappearance or being forcibly conscripted into the army are also real risks. It is important that any return of refugees is done in a way that is voluntary, dignified and safe.

Whole towns and cities have to be rebuilt. Syrian children are facing some of the most difficult conditions than they have ever had in the year conflict. They are more likely now than ever to be in need of aid, go hungry, die from preventable illness, or miss school. On top of all of these challenges, there have been over 15, cases of Covid detected within Syria, and almost a thousand people have died.