Syria marks grim war anniversary

By Nathan Morley

The severe repression of the 2011 protests, which began during the Middle East's Arab Spring uprisings, triggered a complex civil war that drew in foreign powers and jihadists.

It has claimed more than half a million lives and left many more displaced at home and abroad.

The situation for many Syrians in the country remains desperate.

In fact, a recent UN report claimed that 16.7 million people inside the country are anticipated to require humanitarian assistance this year, the highest number of people in need since 2011.

Worse still, rising prices, coupled with a deflating currency, have made the cost of living impossible for many.

Heightening the crisis, a series of violent earthquakes struck the country in February last year, claiming nearly 5,900 lives, severely damaging infrastructure, and exacerbating the exposure of millions already struggling to survive.

Earlier this week, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all stakeholders to “do all that is necessary to reach a genuine and credible political solution”.

Guterres also underscored that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and other violations continue and pose an obstacle to peace in Syria.