A man walks on rubble at a damaged site after an airstrike in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria. February 9, 2018. —REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh
In March 2011, Syrians staged a large demonstration demanding a democratic government. Syria’s regime reacted with mass arrests and lethal violence. The crisis soon escalated into an armed conflict involving local, regional, and international actors.
After more than a decade of the Syrian government’s relentless attacks on civilians, over 500,000 Syrians have been killed, more than seven million people are internally displaced, and over 5.5 million more have fled the country. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been arbitrarily detained where they have been subjected to torture, sexual violence, and murder. The Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity and war crimes against its own people, and continues to commit mass atrocity crimes against civilians in Syria to this day.
The conflict is not simply a civil war between opposing armed forces. What began as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has devolved into a violent struggle between local, national, regional, and international forces. The Syrian government, extremist groups, and outside actors have perpetrated mass atrocities against civilians as a systematic strategy of war.
The uprising’s deterioration into armed conflict in early 2012 caused a dramatic rise in the civilian death toll. Civilians have been targeted by multiple actors in Syria, most notably by Syrian government forces and militia loyal to the Assad regime, who are supported politically and militarily by Russia and Iran. Syrian and Russian forces have attacked civilian-inhabited areas with indiscriminate aerial bombardments. There have been no consequences to these attacks against civilians, increasing the risk that such mass atrocities will continue.
This conflict has caused a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions. Syrian men, women, and children are under constant bombardment of their neighborhoods, schools, markets, and hospitals. They are subjected to starvation, exposure, and lack of medical care. They have endured enforced disappearances and torture in detention. They have been the victims of chemical weapons attacks—which are banned under international law—and torture, rape, and killings. As of March 2024, the number of displaced Syrian worldwide stands at 14 million, with 5.5 million being hosted in countries neighboring Syria. Another 7.2 million are displaced within Syria, where 70% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Northwestern Syria was severely impacted by the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake which destroyed infrastructure and worsened the humanitarian condition.
Title: Is the Worst Yet to Come? Ongoing Mass Atrocity Risks in Syria
Author: Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
Published: March 2018
Download Report in Arabic (تحميل التقرير بالعربية)
Previous reports: February 2014 Bearing Witness Trip
The Syrian government and its allies, Russia and Iran, have increased their assault on Idlib province in northwest Syria, one of the final rebel-held areas that has not been reclaimed by Assad. An estimated 3.4 million people—including one million children—now live in Idlib. Over two million of these displaced people are from elsewhere in Syria. There is a high risk that in Idlib these civilians will be harmed or killed.
From 2019–24 south-east Idlib and western Aleppo have been targeted with frequent airstrikes in addition to ground attacks and indirect fire, including rockets, artillery and mortars. The impact on civilian life and infrastructure has been severe. Syria and its allies attacked health facilities, schools, and markets. This violence reflects the pattern of the Syrian government and its allies to intentionally target necessary elements of civilian infrastructure throughout the war. Those trapped within Idlib have few places to go, as the border to Turkey is closed. With nowhere to flee, the population is at dire risk of mass killings by pro-Assad forces who perceive them as sympathetic to the rebels.
The Syrian people are not the only ones endangered by the conflict. The escalation of the fighting has increased political and military tensions throughout the region. Syria’s humanitarian crisis also has grave implications for security and other interests throughout the world.
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