The Syrian War Explained

The Syrian war began with the people demanding for freedom. March 2011 an uprising in Syria developed into full-fledged civil war after it’s government choose to brutally supress civilian demonstrations.

The totalitarian regime, which began after Hafez Al Assad coup d’état in 1970¹ then followed by his son Bashar in 2000, arrested and tortured 15 school boys in southern city of Daraa². Those kids, affected by the ongoing Arab spring events in Tunis and Egypt at that time, sprayed Anti-government graffiti on their school walls. Their families and community leaders demands to free the kids were met by insults and orders to open fire by Atef Najib, the head of political security branch and Bashar Al Assad cousin³. People took to the streets in 15 March 2011 demanding the boys release and change of Atef Najib. Those demands were considered a threat to the national security and met with brutal force. Arresting, torturing, and using live ammunition against demonstrators. Mahmoud al Jawabreh, a 23-old previous soccer player was among the first four people to get killed by security forces on 18^th of March⁴. Just three days after beginning of demonstrations. After that, the situation escalated quickly and demonstrations spread to other cities.

Now, the death toll exceeded 400,000 and uncounted number of injuries. About half of the population was displaced either internally or become refugees in other countries. More than 200,000 are detained in regime prisons and its security branches⁸. Cities such old Homs, Al Qusayr, Eastern Aleppo were almost totally destroyed by military siege with the use of heavy artillery, surface to surface missiles, airstrikes and barrel bombs in aim to force those cities into submission and displace its population. Other areas such as Eastern Ghouta just few kilometers away from Damascus are still under siege since 2013. Denying it’s more than 300,000 population access to health care, food and other living needs. Even blocking humanitarian aid and removing medical items and medication from its convoys⁹.

The Syrian conflict is yet to be resolved anytime soon. Although it is one of the most documented conflicts with people on ground sharing live evidence of atrocities and human rights violations.