A Bleak Balance Sheet: The Second Anniversary of Syria's Civil War
While the international community remains unable to solve the two-year-old Syrian crisis, the humanitarian crisis grows: the number of refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries stands at one million. Internally displaced people number three million, and the dead 70 000 — not to mention the damage wrought on cities and villages, including many of great historical and cultural significance. What began as a small pro-democracy protest has evolved into a civil war complicated by sectarian strife. The Syrian opposition lacks unity and includes jihadist elements. So long as the international community also remains divided — and so long as Russia, Iran and Iran’s ally Hezbollah continue to unconditionally support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — the conflict's grim statistics are bound to worsen. The EU, which cannot claim to have acted more decisively or righteously than its partners at the UN, is assuming a leading role in delivering humanitarian assistance to the victims of the war within Syria and in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Any military intervention is excluded — at least for the time being — but efforts to find a political solution will require cooperating intensively with Russia — a significant challenge, but one that can no longer be set aside.
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Beleidsterrein
Zoekterm
- Azië-Oceanië
- burgeroorlog
- economische geografie
- EUROPESE UNIE
- gemeenschappelijk buitenlands en veiligheidsbeleid
- GEOGRAFIE
- humanitaire hulp
- INTERNATIONALE BETREKKINGEN
- internationale veiligheid
- militaire bezetting
- Opbouw van Europa
- POLITIEK
- politiek en openbare veiligheid
- politieke geografie
- regionale veiligheid
- samenwerkingsbeleid
- Syrië
- totstandbrenging van de vrede
- vluchteling