Calay News
A report indicates that the brutal repression of the uprising in the context of the Arab Spring in Syria resulted in a complex civil war in which a multitude of actors became involved over the years, generating a diplomatic isolation of President Bashar al-Assad. This civil war has left more than 500,000 dead and millions displaced, as well as an economic crisis in Syria. The country was also hit by a strong earthquake on February 6, which also affected border areas in Turkey.
The article highlights a demonstration in Idlib, a town in the northwest that is the last rebel stronghold, where protesters marched with banners reading “The people demand the fall of the regime” or “Freedom and dignity for all Syrians.” Meanwhile, the Syrian leader traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has provided support to Damascus in the conflict.
Currently, four million people live in northern Syria in areas outside the control of the Damascus government, half of them displaced. The devastating earthquake generated diplomatic dialogue that allowed Assad to come out of isolation, and several Arab countries resumed contacts with the government to send aid. In spite of this, Salma Seif, a 38-year-old woman from Damascus who lives among the displaced, affirmed that the revolution will continue even if all countries in the world normalize their ties with the regime.
