Syria. Two years on.

From the ICRtoP email newsletter:

Widespread calls for an urgent response to end the two-year crisis in Syria

 

On 15 March, Syrian activists and opposition groups marked the two-year anniversary of the country’s deadly crisis with protests in several towns, including Deraa and Aleppo. Rebel forces called for increased attacks on the government, with the leader of the Free Syrian Army vowing to continue fighting until the Assad regime is gone. As a result, Syrian government forces have strengthened security measures in Damascus in anticipation of violence.

 

The crisis in Syria erupted on 15 March 2011 when civilian protesters took to the streets in widespread demonstrations calling on the government to initiate reforms. The government responded brutally, reportedly subjecting civilians to arbitrary detention, torture, and the deployment and use of heavy artillery. With the militarization of opposition groups, the conflict has evolved into a de facto civil war, and violence has become increasingly sectarian in nature. To date, the international community has been unable to negotiate an end to the conflict. On 1 March, the European Union amendedsanctions imposed on Syria to allow for increased support, including non-lethal military equipment and armoured vehicles, to opposition forces on the ground.

 

The toll of the conflict on the population in and around Syria has been devastating. The United Nations (UN) Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Radhouane Nouicer stated on 15 March that, “the civilian space is eroding as there is almost no place deemed to be safe. Syrians have no idea when, or if, they will have a normal life again.” According to the UN, over 70,000 people have been killed, 1.1 million refugees have fled to neighbouring states such as Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey and 2.5 million people have been internally displaced. "It is deplorable that high numbers of civilian casualties are now a daily occurrence to which people are unfortunately getting accustomed," said Robert Mardini, Head of Operations for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

International civil society organizations have issued reports and statements to mark the two-year anniversary, with some describing the humanitarian situation on the ground and others calling for international action to end the violence. TheInternational Federation for Human Rights organized a global moment on 15 March for activists to join together and demand an end to the massacres in Syria. In a recent report, Medecins Sans Frontieres described the many obstacles faced by health care workers, hospitals and aid organizations in the country as well as the insufficient assistance to refugees in neighboring states. Meanwhile, Amnesty International reiterated its call to the UN Security Council to uphold accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Syria and refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect echoed Amnesty’s message, and then called specifically on the BRICS community (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to take the opportunity of its upcoming summit in South Africa to call for humanitarian access in Syria and an end to the conflict. Save the Children< /a> joined the United Nations Children’s Fund in calling for resources, and asked international donors to “turn pledges into funding and deliver assistance on the ground in a way that is needs-based, sustained, flexible, and coordinated”.Below, you will find excerpts from and access to recent publications from these organizations.