The Syrian civil war began in 2011 with peaceful protests against the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad. The regime responded with massive violence and arrests. In the fight against Assad, militant Islamist groups increasingly displaced the secular opposition.

Starting in 2014, the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic State’ (IS) captured large parts of Syria and northern Iraq. International actors intervened: Russia supported Assad, while the United States backed Kurdish militias. After the defeat of IS in 2018, the country remained divided between Islamists, Kurds, and the regime.

The humanitarian consequences of the civil war were catastrophic. Over 600,000 people died, and more than 12 million were displaced. The fall of Assad in December 2024 was seen by many Syrians as a liberation. However, the situation remains unpredictable, especially for Alawites, the group Assad belongs to, and for people of Christian faith.