The civil war in Syria escalated into a crisis involving the rest of the world in a matter of a couple years. Today, the Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced more than 11 million. Half of those affected are children. According to the United Nations, at least $7.7 billion would be needed in 2016 to help stabilize the victims of the war. How did a couple of seemingly simple protests spiral out of control?

The conflict began in 2011 when teenagers were arrested by the government under President Bashar al-Assad and reportedly tortured for writing anti-government graffiti messages on walls. Demonstrations sprung up across Syria and the national military responded with open fire, killing dozens.

Opposition forces, including defected military officers, took up arms and began to battle the government for control over territories, waging a guerilla war. Soon after, the Islamic State, a group of radical jihadists, became part of the conflict as well, fighting both rebel and government militants for power. Attempts at a resolution by the United Nations to stop the violence all failed quickly due to the refusal of compliance from one or many of the parties.

Adriana Liu ‘19 believes that “although many steps have been taken to reach a ceasefire, more things should be done to prevent further damage.”

Jimmy Gao ‘20 seems to share a similar view, stating, “We need to get all the major powers together and find an agreement quickly, even if it is temporary, because this has dragged on for too long.”

In addition to the chaos, Russia announced its support for the Syrian government by launching airstrikes targeting rebel-held territories in October 2015. The involvement of Russia killed at least 2,000 civilians alone and caused even more to flee to safety. Recently, one of Russia’s air raids hit UN trucks en route to provide aid to the citizens stranded in cities, killing 12 humanitarian workers and leaving the people without vital resources.

This prolonged and complicated violence hugely impacts the daily lives of Syrian citizens. Caught between the fire of numerous forces, civilians find themselves the victims of airstrikes and destruction. Ultimately, civilians suffer most from militants’ attempts to hurt their enemies, which often involve blocking food and water from reaching those who need them the most. Now, much of the population lives in poverty without adequate water sources and limited access to food.

The war detrimentally affects one main group of victims: children. The imposing dangers forced millions of children to drop out of school. Malnutrition and diseases brought on by poor sanitation, sexual abuse, and exploitation are only some of the risks that threaten Syrian children every day. Some mothers marry their daughters off at the age of 13, in fear of their futures. Refugee children often need to work dangerous jobs for meager pay just to support their families.

Because of the dire and worsening conditions in Syria, more and more Syrians are attempting to run to neighboring countries or are seeking refuge in Europe by enduring the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. In 2015, 1 million refugees tried to enter European countries. With sometimes only a battered dinghy to get them to safety, overcrowding and mass drownings are not uncommon.

The United Nations has since accused the Assad regime of committing crimes against humanity, but violence continues. The war continues to wage on grounds where innocent citizens fear for their lives.