The story of the Syrian Civil War has been a story of ongoing crises and humanitarian catastrophes. Today the greatest of all these tragedies appears ready to explode onto human history in Idlib, Syria. Bombings, displacements, and humanitarian crises are a daily occurrence in Syria – but in Idlib, we are seeing this reach a whole new level of chaos.
Our special guest on today’s podcast episode, Dr. Zaher Sahloul of MedGlobal explains what is going on in Idlib, how we got here and what, if any, hope remains for the people of Syria. We explore the history and also why it is important for the world to pay attention to the events unfolding today in Syria. This is already the bloodiest and most violent war of the 21st century. What is happening now will become a permanent stain on human history.
Quick Facts on Recent Events in Idlib, Syria:
- The total number of displaced people in Idlib (not all of Syria, but only Idlib) since August is now more than 700,000 people. More than 300,000 of these have been since December.
- Many within this displaced population have lost their homes and been displaced several times already since the beginning of the war in 2011.
- In the last three weeks of December, more than 140,000 children were displaced in Idlib.
- Civilian targets such as schools, hospitals, and religious sites are frequent targets of the Assad regime.
- Idlib province is home to more than 3 million civilians.
- Losses among rebel groups in Syria since April 2019 have resulted in widespread recruitment of child soldiers among the civilian population.
Additional Reading About Idlib, Syria:
- Idlib Could Become the Worst Humanitarian Crisis in Syria’s Civil War (Washington Post)
- Civilians See No Future in Idlib as Syrian Forces Tighten Grip (The New Humanitarian)
- Syrian Offensive Sends Tens of Thousands Fleeing (New York Times)
Learn the full background of the Syrian Civil War, the history and realities that led us to this dark day from the End of History’s 5-part podcast series on the Syrian Civil War.
