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
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
Synthetic drug market disrupted in Syria after regime change
- UN News
Past geopolitical tensions related to the synthetic drug “captagon” are now being mitigated with the Syrian authorities’ commitment to dismantle illicit manufacturing, says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Syria’s humanitarian needs remain high despite reduced violence, UN warns
- UN News
Humanitarian needs in Syria remain immense despite a year of reduced violence and political change, with millions still displaced, basic services strained and funding shortfalls threatening aid operations, senior UN officials said on Thursday.
Syria at a crossroads: UN warns fragile transition needs global support
- UN News
A year after the fall of the Assad regime opened the door to political and judicial reform, Syria’s future is still precarious.
One year after Assad’s fall, Syria’s future must be ‘free, sovereign and united’
- UN News
The UN Secretary-General has marked the first anniversary of the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, calling the moment “a day to honor [Syrians’] sacrifices and to renew the aspirations that fueled the historic change in the country.”
Syria: Effort to buttress human rights since Assad’s fall, ‘only the beginning of what needs to be done’
- UN News
Summary executions and other violations continue in Syria nearly a year after the fall of the Assad regime, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
Syria: Hope emerges amid ongoing human rights challenges
- UN News
For the first time in the country’s history, Syrians are preparing to publicly mark Human Rights Day next week — a small but meaningful step that UN human rights officials say signals a “new chapter” in their engagement with the authorities, and a cautiously optimistic moment for millions seeking change.
Top Syria Envoy: Humanitarian situation is ‘extremely serious’
- UN News
Nearly a year on from the fall of Assad, Syrians still lack many basic necessities as the transitional government works to shore up the economy and build social cohesion.
Syria’s Fragile Transition Threatened by Severe Aid Shortfalls and Increasing Abductions, UN Warns
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, November 12 (IPS) - Eleven months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to grapple with severe instability as the country navigates a turbulent political transition. Rates of displacement have surged, and humanitarian organizations are struggling to support large numbers of refugees returning home. In recent weeks, the United Nations (UN) has documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances and abductions, calling for stronger accountability measures as the transition continues to unfold.
‘Worrying reports’ continue of abductions and disappearances in Syria
- UN News
Nearly 100 people in Syria have been abducted or forcibly disappeared since January, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday, calling for greater accountability from the authorities.
Security Council lifts terror-related sanctions on Syrian President
- UN News
The Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution to remove Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from sanctions measures targeting members and supporters of terrorist groups ISIL and Al-Qaida.
Syria’s future under threat from acute funding shortages
- UN News
Hopes for a peaceful future in post-war Syria are at risk as funding for basic services dries up, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
‘Repeated bouts of violence’ put Syria rebuilding at risk: Independent rights investigator
- UN News
Incidents of mass killings and torture in post-Assad Syria are tempering early optimism about the transitional government’s ability to put an end to entrenched cycles of violence, the head of the UN-mandated independent investigative body on Syria said on Thursday.
UN nuclear watchdog highlights Iran, Syria and Ukraine as key global tests
- UN News
Mounting nuclear risks – from Ukraine’s war-torn power plants to Iran’s unresolved safeguards, and renewed inspection efforts in Syria – are testing the global non-proliferation regime like never before, the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned on Wednesday.
Security Council LIVE: Gaza ceasefire, aid crisis dominates agenda as ambassadors meet on the Middle East
- UN News
The UN Security Council meets at the top of the hour in New York to debate the Middle East, with Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the region expected to brief. The session comes amid faltering progress on the fragile Gaza ceasefire and mounting humanitarian needs after two years of war, with famine still looming in parts of the territory. Ambassadors will likely discuss yesterday's ICJ advisory opinion affirming Israel’s obligation to allow agencies aid access under international law. Follow our in-depth live coverage from 10am; UN News app users can go here.
UN appeals for stronger support for Syria, with millions still in need
- UN News
As Syria’s humanitarian needs soar and aid funding dries up, UN officials urged the Security Council on Wednesday to step up support, warning that millions face continuing hardship even as the country rebuilds its political institutions.
They Have Known Nothing but War—The Plight of Syria’s Out-of-School Children
- Inter Press Service
IDLIB, Syria, October 16 (IPS) - The war has deprived thousands of Syrian children of their right to education, especially displaced children in makeshift camps. Amidst difficult economic conditions and the inability of many families to afford educational costs, the future of these children is under threat.
Syria’s search for truth is a ‘collective effort’, top UN investigator says
- UN News
Tens of thousands of people went missing in Syria over the past 50 years under the Assad dictatorship, including during 14 years of civil war which began in 2011.
The Syria prison survivor who’s seeking justice for those still missing
- UN News
When the gates of Syria’s notorious Sednaya prison opened soon after the fall of the Assad regime last December, graffiti scrawled on the walls offered a frightening glimpse into what was widely known as the “human slaughterhouse”. “First day, severe beating,” one prisoner wrote.
Security Council LIVE: Ambassadors authorise new Gang Suppression Force for Haiti
- UN News
The UN Security Council has backed a resolution authorising the transition of the Kenyan-led support mission for Haiti into a new Gang Suppression Force, in close cooperation with Haitian authorities. US Ambassador Michael Waltz said it offered new hope for the country's future as “a key first step” to address the humanitarian and security crisis there. Follow the meeting live below; UN News app users need to click here for coverage.
UN warns time running out for families with terrorist ties stranded in Syria camps
- UN News
Six years after the defeat of ISIL, also known as Daesh, tens of thousands of people with alleged or actual ties to the terrorist group remain detained in camps in northeast Syria in dire conditions that continue to worsen.
Syrian President outlines reforms, pledges national renewal
- UN News
Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa used his debut at the UN General Assembly’s annual debate to outline a forward-looking agenda of reform and rebuilding, promising balanced diplomacy, transitional justice, and inclusive representation as the country turns “the page of a wretched past.”
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