- In March 2011, Syrians began protesting the government of leader Bashar al-Assad. They were quickly met with a violent military crackdown. Ten years later, several factions and their international allies remain mired in a devastating civil war that has seen 5 million Syrians flee to other countries and 6 million displaced internally. [CBS News / Amjad Tadros]
- The war has descended into a chaotic struggle that is not simply about Assad’s government, with various ethnic groups, rebels, foreign governments, and terrorist groups becoming involved in the conflict. Nearly 400,000 people have died, with another 200,000 missing and presumed dead — many at the hands of the Syrian government. [BBC News]
- Iran and Russia have backed Assad’s government, while the US and other Western countries have supported rebel groups. Assad remains in power, through chaos including the rise of the Islamic State. [France 24]
- Meanwhile, poverty and food insecurity have affected millions of Syrians. International aid organizations have warned that the humanitarian damage, including lack of access to clean water and safe schools, may be irreversible. [Arab News / Christopher Hamill-Stewart]
- Before the war, the country had a population of about 23 million. Now 5.6 million are refugees living in other countries, even more are displaced within Syria, and nearly a million Syrian babies have been born in exile. [AP News / Fay Abuelgasim]
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