The Syrian conflict, which began in March 2011, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. Hundreds of thousands are dead and 13.5 million Syrians are now refugees or internally displaced. Up to 128,000 have been forcibly disappeared and 14,000 killed under torture. At present, 11.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance and 80 percent live in extreme poverty without access to food, safe water, or health care services, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated their plight. About half of the people affected are children, who are further impacted by the lack of educational opportunities and the oppressive practices of child labor and child marriage.


This webinar examined the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and the urgent need for political attention to the conflict there. Speakers discussed the realities of everyday life for millions of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons and what they need from the international community. The panel of experts also offered policy recommendations for the Biden Administration and other international actors to help alleviate the massive suffering and end the 11-year-old conflict.