Syria 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
Syria’s hopes for renewal hinge on rebuilding trust, lives and livelihoods
- UN News
A country long known as a meeting point of civilizations, Syria stands once again at a crossroads
UN chief hails Syria’s ‘moment of possibility’ on first visit since fall of Assad regime
- UN News
Syria has an opportunity not only to recover from conflict but to build “a future that is more stable, more inclusive and more prosperous for all Syrians”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in Damascus on Saturday as he began a landmark visit to the country.
Syria ‘not alone’ in locating missing persons, tackling displacement
- UN News
Syria is not alone in tackling challenges, including the hundreds of thousands who remain missing during past tumultuous decades, the head of a UN institution said on Thursday as António Guterres departs on his first visit to the country in his current capacity as Secretary-General.
Security Council LIVE: Spotlight on Syria as Guterres heads to Damascus
- UN News
The Security Council is holding its monthly debate on Syria amid reports of an Israeli attack in occupied territory and discussions of a multi-national oil pipeline to counter the closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz – still the focus of the ongoing US-Iran war. The meeting follows UN independent investigators’ findings that security conditions remain fragile in the south as the UN chief heads to Damascus for his first visit to the country as Secretary-General.
UN Syria inquiry presses for answers on missing detainees after wide-ranging visit
- UN News
UN investigators have urged Syria’s Government to trace thousands of missing detainees and hold perpetrators to account after a week-long visit that took in bomb attacks in Damascus, prison visits in the northeast and reports of vigilante violence in Homs.
‘Better future for Syria remains within reach,’ UN Security Council hears
- UN News
Syria has emerged after more than a decade of crisis with “clear signs of progress”, but acute needs remain and efforts must boost support so the country can “move from survival towards recovery”, UN officials told the Security Council on Monday.
Undeclared chemical weapons found in Syria, including type used in notorious Ghouta massacre
- UN News
Chemical weapons inspectors have uncovered a significant cache of previously undeclared chemical weapons in Syria – including rockets of the same type used in the notorious 2013 Ghouta attack – in what the UN’s top disarmament official called a “momentous discovery” for international security.
Scarcity of Treatment Makes Syrians More Vulnerable to Mental Health Crisis
- Inter Press Service
IDLIB, Syria, May 22 (IPS) - The protracted years of conflict in Syria have inflicted profound scars that transcend physical destruction, permeating the psychological well-being of millions.
LIVE: Security Council meets on Syria transition and humanitarian crisis
- UN News
The UN Security Council meets Friday morning in New York to discuss the evolving situation in Syria, as the country navigates a fragile transition after years of conflict and the fall of the Assad regime. Deputy Special Envoy Claudio Cordone and UN relief chief Tom Fletcher are expected to brief members on political and humanitarian developments. Follow our live coverage for updates from the chamber as they happen.
Funding shortfalls force deep cuts to Syria food assistance: WFP
- UN News
Millions of Syrians are at growing risk of hunger after severe funding shortages forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to halve emergency food assistance, cutting support for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people across the country.
UN winds down Türkiye-Syria aid route, after more than 65,000 lifesaving journeys
- UN News
The UN has formally concluded its cross-border humanitarian operations from Türkiye into Syria, marking the end of an 11-year mission that served as one of the most complex supply chains in the organization’s history.
World News in Brief: Syria human rights update, Cuba post-hurricane support still vital, impunity and violence in Myanmar
- UN News
Three mass graves were recently uncovered in northeastern Syria, including one reportedly at the site of a former detention centre run by the Kurdish-backed Syrian Armed Forces (SDF).
SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Regional war threatens Syria’s fragile transition
- UN News
The Security Council is meeting now at a critical juncture for Syria’s fragile transition. While the Iran-US ceasefire has temporarily eased regional spillover from Lebanon and elsewhere, conditions remain volatile in Syria. The reported US military withdrawal now completed, marks a milestone, yet the chamber faces a country grappling with deep internal fissures and external pressures. Follow full meetings coverage below and UN News app users should click here.
‘Now is the moment to invest’: Syria needs global backing, says UN expert
- UN News
Syria has made “remarkable progress” on transitional justice within the past year, raising hopes for accountability and recovery after more than a decade of civil conflict.
Syria: UN Commission documents grave violations in July 2025 escalation in Sweida
- UN News
More than 1,700 people were killed and nearly 200,000 more displaced in the July 2025 massacres in Sweida, Syria, UN human rights investigators said on Friday in a report that called for greater action towards accountability.
Middle East war risks undermining Syria’s fragile recovery, Security Council hears
- UN News
The international community must step up efforts to support Syria amid the current conflict raging in the Middle East, two senior UN officials told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Middle East crisis: UN health agency releases emergency funds for Lebanon, Iraq, Syria
- UN News
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing another $2 million in emergency funds to support health systems in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria as strikes against Iran by the US and Israeli continue amid counterstrikes across the Gulf and wider region by Tehran.
Syria’s Mobile Cultural Bus: Championing Cultural Justice, Delivering Art and Literature to Children of War
- Inter Press Service
AL-AZRAQ, SYRIA, March 13 (IPS) - In the Al-Azraq camp in northern Syria, 10-year-old Abeer Al-Qaddour sits, browsing a colourful book with intense focus and curiosity. Nearby stands a bus, elegantly inscribed with the words ‘The Cultural Bus’.
Syria transition gains ground with Kurdish deal, but violence and humanitarian strain persist
- UN News
Syria’s fragile political transition has gained fresh momentum with a landmark agreement between Damascus and Kurdish authorities in the northeast, but renewed violence in the south, Israeli incursions and deep humanitarian needs underscore how precarious the path to stability remains, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Friday.
World News in Brief: Floods in Syria, relief operations in Cuba at risk, ending child labour
- UN News
Severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall has hit northwest Syria, killing two children and affecting more than 5,000 displaced people, the UN said on Monday.
World News in Brief: Syria ceasefire welcomed, ‘Olympic truce’, Ukraine’s freezing children
- UN News
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian Government and the mainly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), urging all parties to seize the moment to protect civilians and prevent further violations in the country’s northeast.
Between fear and survival: Women and girls flee violence in northern Syria
- UN News
When fighting recently intensified near her neighbourhood in Aleppo, in northern Syria, Fatima and her family had to run.
Limited access restored to Syria’s Al Hol camp amid security concerns
- UN News
United Nations agencies have regained limited access to Syria’s Al Hol camp and resumed the delivery of essential supplies after days of disruption caused by a volatile security situation, the UN Deputy Spokesperson said on Friday.
Syria: Renewed clashes risk derailing fragile transition
- UN News
A tense standoff between the Syrian Government and Kurdish-led forces in the country’s northeast risks igniting wider instability just as Syria struggles to emerge from years of conflict and authoritarian rule, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Thursday.
Prison breaks and renewed clashes raise alarm in northeast Syria
- UN News
The United Nations continues to monitor developments in northeast Syria following clashes between government troops and the Kurdish-led SDF militia during which scores of detained ISIL militants reportedly escaped from prison.
Syria signals renewed cooperation on chemical weapons destruction
- UN News
Progress continues to be made towards eliminating remnants of the chemical weapons programme in Syria that was developed under the Assad regime, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.
World News in Brief: Fighting intensifies in Syria’s Aleppo and South Sudan’s Jonglei state, acute hunger in Niger
- UN News
UN Secretary-General António Guterres continues to be gravely alarmed by escalating hostilities in Aleppo, Syria, and mounting reports of civilian casualties, his Spokesperson said on Thursday.
Syria: Aleppo fighting leaves civilians dead, displaces thousands
- UN News
At least five civilians have been killed and some 30,000 people displaced following renewed fighting in Aleppo, Syria, prompting calls from the UN for immediate de-escalation and a return to political talks.
World News in Brief: Storms in Syria, school attacks in Nigeria, strikes continue in southern Lebanon
- UN News
Thousands of displaced people in northern Syria are struggling to cope with freezing conditions after a severe snowstorm struck dozens of displacement sites, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
Syria: Guterres deplores deadly mosque blast in Homs
- UN News
UN Secretary-General António Guterres “unequivocally condemns” the deadly terrorist attack on a mosque in Homs, Syria during Friday prayers, his spokesperson said in a statement
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