The civil war in Syria started 10 years ago and today, a decade into the catastrophe, almost half of the country’s pre-war population, that is, over 12 million people, have either been internally displaced or found refuge abroad. The pandemic that hit in 2020 simply added one more catastrophe to those that already existed, triggering a healthcare crisis caused by only half of Syrian hospitals functioning and worsening the already shaky economic situation. Against this backdrop, the European Union and the United Nations have called for discussions regarding the last devastating 10 years in Syria on 29-30 March at the fifth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”.
March 2021 Syria marks 10 years of armed conflict in Syria that has badly affected its economy, uprooted and distressed its population, and annihilated its renowned centuries-old cultural heritage. The decades-long conflict has taken the lives of about half a million people and has caused unbelievable human grief and pain.
Millions in dire need of assistance
Today, 5.6 million Syrians are spread across 130 countries and 6.7 million are internally displaced. Over 13 million people inside the country are in need of some sort of assistance, including 4.5 million in extreme need and about 1.5 million in catastrophic need. Of these, 6.08 million are children.
The latest data from the World Food Programme (WFP) shows that a record-high number of Syrians – 12.4 million or about 60% of the country’s current population – lack access to sufficient food as the average price of a food basket surged by 236% in December 2020 compared to December 2019 in the context of an unprecedented economic recession. Moreover, WFP noted that the number of Syrians who would not survive without food assistance doubled in 2020 to reach 1.3 million with another 1.8 million facing the same risk unless urgent action was taken.
Almost 2.5 million children were out of school in 2020 with another 1.6 million at risk of dropping out, “numbers that will certainly increase due to an overall increase in the school-aged population and the overall deteriorating situation,” the 2021 Needs and Response Summary noted.
International support
Since the beginning of the war, countries from all over the world have pumped billions annually into humanitarian aid for Syrians. Over €20 billion has been mobilized by the EU and its member states alone from 2011 to 2020 to assist vulnerable Syrians in the country and around the world. For its part, the USA has provided over $11 billion in humanitarian assistance to Syria since the beginning of the war.
Various organizations have supported Syrians in Syria or outside of its borders during the past 10 years. For instance, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been supporting Syria since the beginning of the conflict by delivering medical care to people in need. According to the organization, with infrastructure destroyed and a decaying healthcare system, the country lacks medical supplies, facilities, and staff. MSF alone delivered 515,100 outpatient consultations and provided 169,100 routine vaccinations in the country in 2019.
UN agencies and other aid organizations have been on the field ever since the beginning of the war.
Virtual Pledging Conference
This year, the European Union and the United Nations will again join forces in an attempt to mobilize the international community to provide vital support to Syria.
The EU-UN will co-chair the fifth Brussels Virtual Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” which will take place on 29-30 March targeting, as did previous conferences, the most acute humanitarian issues affecting Syrians and hosting families both inside and outside of the country.
The Brussels V Conference is planned to be the main pledging summit for Syria and the region in 2021. In 2020, donors pledged €5.5 billion, lower than the €6.2 billion pledged in 2019.
Roots of the Conflict
The Syrian armed conflict started back in 2011 as peaceful demonstrations against corruption and poverty. These turned into a bloody civil war following attempts by presidential forces to crack down on them. The government has recently regained control of most of the country’s biggest cities but rebels, jihadists, and Kurds still hold large parts of the country.
In March 2020, Russia and Turkey intermediated a ceasefire agreement which brought about a sense of calm but tension between the pro-presidential forces, rebels and Kurds remains with international experts observing that the conflict may once again erupt at any moment.
