Global Issues
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: 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.”
Syria: Return of millions brings hope but challenges remain
- UN News
In just nine months, one million Syrians have returned home following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime last December, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Wednesday.
Fragile progress in Syria, at risk from exclusion and foreign interference, UN warns
- UN News
Syria’s tentative steps towards recovery could quickly unravel without inclusive politics, sustained aid and respect for national sovereignty, top UN officials cautioned the Security Council on Thursday.
UN refugee agency urges support to end displacement for millions of Syrians
- UN News
The international community must support efforts towards peace and stability in Syria and end the displacement of millions – both within and outside the country – who fled years of war and just want to go home.
Syria: Political transition on ‘a knife-edge’ amid military skirmishes
- UN News
The UN Special Envoy for Syria briefed the Security Council on Thursday, saying that amid a strained ceasefire and military skirmishes in Syria, the political transition “remains on a knife’s edge”.
Syria: Violence in Alawite areas may be war crimes, say rights investigators
- UN News
Top UN human rights investigators said on Thursday that war crimes may have been committed in predominantly Alawite areas of Syria in a wave of deadly violence earlier this year.
Syria: UNICEF calls for safe access to children in Sweida as needs mount
- UN News
Humanitarians must be able to reach families affected by the “deeply alarming” recent violence in Syria’s Sweida region who need food and other basics to survive, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
First Person: Echoes of war as aid arrives in Syria’s historical city
- UN News
The transformation over two decades of the once thriving Syrian city of Sweida from tourist destination to a landscape marked by violence and loss has been detailed by the chief of a UN migration mission who recently visited the area.
Security Council voices deep concern over deadly escalation in Syria’s Sweida region
- UN News
The UN Security Council has expressed alarm at the sharp escalation of violence in Syria’s Sweida region since mid-July, condemning attacks against civilians and calling for urgent protection and humanitarian access.
Syria: Ceasefire under strain as violence and aid access issues persist in Sweida
- UN News
Hostilities have continued in Sweida, Syria, despite a ceasefire agreement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update published on Wednesday.
World News in Brief: First UN mission to Syria’s Sweida, fresh displacement in Haiti, new lightning record
- UN News
The first UN inter-agency mission to embattled Sweida governorate in Syria arrived there on Thursday, UN aid coordination office OCHA has reported.
In Syria’s Sectarian Fights for Power, Humanity is the Loser
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (IPS) - As sectarian violence rises in Syria, the number of displaced people has climbed exponentially since Syrian forces joined clashes between the Druze and Bedouin groups in the Sweida region.
Syria: Fragile ceasefire in Sweida ‘largely holding’ amid volatility
- UN News
A fragile de-escalation in Syria’s Sweida region is “largely holding” after weeks of violence displaced 175,000 people, killed hundreds and devastated critical infrastructure – exposing deep fissures in the country’s political transition.
Syria: Deadly sectarian violence displaces thousands in Sweida; healthcare attacked
- UN News
As deadly sectarian violence continues to displace hundreds of thousands of civilians in Syria’s Sweida Governorate, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Friday that attacks on health facilities had killed two doctors.
Syria: Second convoy brings critical aid to Sweida
- UN News
A second convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) reached battered Sweida on Wednesday, the UN Spokesperson reported in its latest update.
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