Syrian Civil War Research Articles

No shelter is safe: Syrian refugees and housing precarity in Beirut, Lebanon

Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, Lebanon has maintained an incomplete vision for its most recent wave of refugees, specifically through its “zero-camp” policy for displaced Syrians. However, it has provided no alternative shelter. In a country with no comprehensive affordable housing scheme, this has led displaced Syrians to seek informal ways of accessing spaces of refuge on their own and UNHCR to become the leading humanitarian organization in helping the most vulnerable refugees access shelter. The research reported in this field note, drawing on interviews, discussions, participant observation and analysis of secondary data, investigates how these displaced Syrians have accessed shelter and tenure in two upscale neighbourhoods in Beirut, navigating a delicate balance of legal, social, economic and spatial factors shared by both the displaced and local communities. The situation has been further complicated by Beirut’s historic sectarian divisions. The findings of the study provide an update on Syrian refugee self-settlement after the 2019 economic crisis in well-to-do neighbourhoods in Beirut, challenging the assumption that the shelter available to refugees in privileged areas might provide greater security in dire economic times.

Humanitarianism as a tool of statecraft: contested authority, sovereign violence, and humanity in the Syrian civil war.

This research explores the dynamics of interaction between the sovereign state and international humanitarian organisations in alleviating human suffering in the Syrian civil war. Considering civil wars as a rupture in sovereignty, its focus is on the practices of the sovereign state within its social context and the resulting implications for aid organisations. I argue that the Syrian regime has employed state violence, in tandem with administrative and bureaucratic impediments, to reassert its sovereign authority in humanitarian decision-making processes. This exercise of sovereign power is intertwined with the actions of aid organisations, thereby reshaping power dynamics among the state, aid organisations, and vulnerable populations. Through a qualitative method, I show that the deployment of state violence concomitantly pushes aid organisations, specifically the United Nations, towards enforcing the state sovereignty defined by the regime. As an effect of assertive sovereignty, interpretations of humanitarian principles and practices are continuously negotiated and constructed differently by aid organisations, even though they share a common overarching goal.

On the Frontlines of Pre-Hospital Care: The Efficacy of Freeze-Dried Plasma

Despite continued developments made in the field of trauma care, hemorrhagic shock resulting from trauma remains the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. The current methods being used for the treatment of patients with acute hemorrhage include dressing the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, along with intravenous administration of fluids intended to replace the blood loss and treat the accompanying shock. The question of what kind of fluid to use is one that fascinated many throughout history, consequentially leading to the development of physiological crystalloid based solutions on one hand and isolated blood products on the other. With its introduction, plasma was found to have significant clinical benefits, conceivably because plasma replenishes various coagulation proteins that are consumed during the coagulopathy that often accompanies traumatic injuries. In military and remote settings, the logistical limitations of plasma, namely the need to maintain a comprehensive cold-chain infrastructure and the complicated process of thawing the plasma, restricted the use of plasma in these settings. In World War II, these barriers were lifted as Freeze-Dried Plasma (FDP) was invented, not requiring any freezers and soon available. This product was vastly used during the war with hundreds of thousands treated, but then disremembered because of disease transmission issues such as hepatitis found among recipients in the 1960’s. Modern-day advanced techniques have improved the safety and made it possible to produce safe and effective dried plasma solving the previous problems, but still, FDP is currently used by only a few countries worldwide. In line with its unpopularity, little has been published regarding the clinical effects of this product. Purpose of this Study: To shed light on the clinical effectiveness of using freeze-dried plasma as a pre-hospital resuscitation fluid during the treatment of hemorrhagic shock in the pre-hospital setting. Methods: A retrospective analysis of data collected on trauma patients injured in the Syrian civil war and treated by the IDF from 2014 until 2016. Casualties who required long evacuation time (i.e., over 45 minutes) were chosen. Two groups of casualties were allocated according to weather FDP was used (N=29), or standard-care fluids were given (N=83). Results: Using FDP as part of the pre-hospital resuscitation was shown to be associated with an improvement in both vital signs and shock index score. Moreover, among these patients, a lower transfusion volume was needed throughout their hospitalization. However, an increased risk for mortality, increased risk of in-hospital blood transfusion, and increased risk of pre-hospital intubation were observed in the FDP treated group. Conclusions: The effectiveness of FDP presented inconclusive but promising results in lowering the severity of shock and reducing iatrogenic coagulopathy in trauma patients. Further research is needed to disprove the adverse outcomes of this study.

Syrian Civil War and Its Implication on Regional Politics

Syria's strategic location at the crossroads of the Middle East, combined with its rich cultural diversity, has long made it a key player in regional politics. The ongoing Syrian war, which is in its tenth year, has serious effects on regional stability and international security. This article explains the importance of Syria's geopolitical position, its historical background and the serious impact of the war on the political region. Examining the complexity of war, its consequences, and international cooperation, this article highlights the complexity of the conflict and its profound impact on the Middle East and beyond. Religious landscape as a concept of place also adds to the complexity of the conflict. It analyzes the role of various regional and international actors, including Iran, Russia, the United States, and the European Union, in exacerbating or easing the conflict. Additionally, the article discusses the humanitarian crisis, the rise of terrorist groups and the impact of the war on neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. He emphasizes that a political solution is needed for long-term security and peace in the Middle East. Examining the war, its consequences, and international cooperation, this article sheds light on the ongoing conflict between Syria and the future of the region; It sheds light on policymakers, academics, and anyone trying to understand the complexity of this important issue.

Competitive Peacekeeping Interventions, State Factionalisation and the Escalation of Organised Violence: the Case of Syria

Abstract This study investigates the paradox of peacekeeping interventions exacerbating conflict intensity, particularly when executed by various competing powers rather than the UN, through the lens of the Syrian conflict. By tracing the causal pathway from intervention to state factionalisation and subsequent violence escalation, we utilise novel data highlighting the impact of corruptive state factionalism on conflict dynamics in Syria. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses, we show that competitive interventions create credible threats and mobilise violence, thus intensifying the conflict. This research underscores the necessity for non-partisan, UN-led peacekeeping efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of competitive interventions in fragile states.

A Paradox of Inclusion in Cities: Homemaking of Refugees and Natives in Urban Space

AbstractIn this research, we aimed to explore a paradox of inclusion that emerges in the homemaking activities of refugees and natives. On one side, natives perceive threat from refugees and tend to preserve their home by excluding them from urban spaces. On the other side, refugees strive to make a new home and seek to regain homely feelings. Therefore, we examined inclusion both as an outcome variable (willingness for inclusion in the native context) and as a predictor (perceived inclusion in the refugee context). One distinctive aspect of this study is that both natives and refugees have comparably similar ethnocultural backgrounds (either Kurds or Arabs) re-encountered after the Syrian proxy war. A total of 421 natives (Study 1, Mage = 37.1, SD = 14.3; 50% women), and 889 refugees (Study 2, Mage = 36.59; SD = 12.51; 62% women) living in Mardin (a city in Turkey bordering Syria) were surveyed. Both groups of participants were asked about their daily life activities across places (dwelling, neighborhood, city center) as related to homemaking. In addition, natives were asked about the extent they perceived threat from, and ascribed social reputation to refugees, whereas refugees were asked about the extent they were satisfied with the urban life and spaces they felt homely. Our results highlight the importance of focusing on the inclusion paradox in the context of mobility (including forced migration), which generates a new disadvantaged layer in society even among people with similar ethnocultural backgrounds when one group is regarded as refugees and the other natives.

Feasibility and Acceptability Study of a Culturally Adapted Web-Based Intervention to Reduce Suicidal Ideation for Syrian Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the United Kingdom: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

The war in Syria has displaced over 6.8 million people, more than any other conflict since the Second World War. As a result, Syrian asylum seekers and refugees have experienced several life-changing events, resulting in high rates of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation (SI). To address the treatment gap and reduce the burden of help-seeking, a web-based intervention to reduce SI developed for general populations was culturally adapted for and with Syrian asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom. The study revealed the importance of understanding their lived experience with migration and the acculturative process in providing treatment for SI. This study will now assess the feasibility and acceptability of the culturally adapted intervention for this population. The first phase of the study will include recruiting participants and delivering the web-based intervention (1) to assess the feasibility of meeting recruitment goals and recruitment rates and (2) to assess the feasibility of outcome measures. The second phase of the study will include one-to-one semistructured interviews (1) to assess the suitability of the culturally adapted intervention in terms of recruitment and adherence rates and barriers and facilitators to engagement and (2) to assess the acceptability of the intervention in terms of its cultural relevance and appropriateness. This is a protocol for a single-group, noncontrolled, mixed methods feasibility and acceptability study of a culturally adapted web-based intervention to reduce SI for Syrian asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom. The study will assess the feasibility of recruitment goals, recruitment rates, adherence rates, and outcome measures using individual participant tracking forms, which will be analyzed quantitatively. The suitability and acceptability of the intervention will be assessed using one-to-one semistructured interviews with 12 participants who completed the intervention, which will be analyzed qualitatively. Recruitment began in February 2024 and will run until 30 participants are recruited to the study or until the end of July 2024. Thus far, 19 participants have provided informed consent, 16 were eligible and enrolled, and 12 have completed a postintervention interview. No data have been analyzed. The study, including the write-up period, is expected to end in December 2024. Despite experiencing several stressors related to forced displacement and high rates of mental health issues, access to treatment is still limited for Syrian asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom. To address the treatment gap and reduce the burden of help-seeking, a web-based intervention to reduce SI was culturally adapted in collaboration with Syrian asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom. This study will now assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and culturally appropriate recruitment strategies. ISRCTN ISRCTN11417025; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11417025. PRR1-10.2196/56957.

Quantifying the effects of attacks on health facilities on health service use in Northwest Syria: a case time series study from 2017 to 2019

BackgroundThroughout the Syrian conflict, the Syrian government has intentionally attacked health facilities, violating International Humanitarian Law. Previous studies have qualitatively described health system disruptions following attacks on healthcare or established...

Analyzing Foreign Policy: the Dynamics of U.S., Türkiye, and Israel's Engagement in Syria

This paper examines the foreign policy strategies and motivations of the United States, Turkey, and Israel in relation to Syria, providing a nuanced comprehension of the intricate geopolitical landscape. The research employs a qualitative-descriptive methodology to analyze the strategic objectives and actions of these nations, relying on secondary data from scholastic articles and reports. The analysis encompasses the Syrian conflict from 2011 to the present, emphasizing critical variables including national security interests, geopolitical ambitions, and humanitarian considerations. Significant implications for international relations and regional stability are revealed by the findings, which indicate that policy objectives are distinct yet overlapping.

Education of Syrian Immigrants in Türkiye, Jordan, and Lebanon

The Syrian civil war, which started in 2011, caused the migration of more than 6 million Syrians, and this wave of migration affected the region in many ways. Neighboring countries with the highest number of Syrian refugees, especially Türkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan, were greatly affected politically, socially, and economically by this process. War negatively affects the lives of children, one of the most vulnerable groups in society, in many ways. One of these negative effects is undoubtedly the interruption of their education, an important element in shaping their entire lives. This study conducted by document scanning method, has dealt with the access of Syrian children to education in the countries which they migrated to in the context of policies and practices. The importance of non-formal education activities in ensuring access to education for hundreds of thousands of out-of-school children in all three countries was discussed. Language training, catch-up training and vocational training programs should be organized within the scope of non-formal education to meet the educational needs of Syrian children who are out of school due to curriculum and language differences, inadequacy of classrooms, poverty and resulting child labor and early marriage of girls.

The US press and foreign policy information, cueing, and the democratic process in the Syrian conflict

There were three chemical attacks on Syrian civilians in 2013, 2017, and 2018. In 2013, President Obama proposed military action and it was rejected by Congress. President Trump ordered two airstrikes in 2017 and 2018, without congressional authorization. Investigating news reports and statements issued by the members of the House and Senate show that there were major criticisms among US officials in all three periods. In the month after the three foreign policy declarations (congressional vote in 2013, airstrikes in 2017 and 2018), the US press increased their reliance on US officials and followed the standpoint of powerful domestic officials in criticizing the military intervention policy – whether proposed or in action. They covered a significant amount of criticism in 2013 that officials voted a nay and raised their objections, and marginalized critical standpoints in times of forgoing democratic procedures and powerlessness of representatives to change the policy. This research also demonstrates the increasing role of NGOs and activists in picturing realities in Syria.

Seeking ontological security through thick narratives: Syrian civil war, ontological insecurity, and narratives

Civil war can change the narratives of a collective Self and damage some of its ontological security conditions, such as continuity, self-esteem, and consistency. Using a qualitative analysis of the Facebook pages visited widely by the residents of Salamieh City in Syria (a stronghold for Ismailis), this study shows how narratives of a collective Self (both local Salamieh and national Syrian Selves) have been generated to cope with threats to ontological security imposed by the ongoing civil war. Following our finding that the pro-regime and neutral pages could have used thin narratives of ontological security but instead sticked to thick narratives, we argue that thick narrative opens up possibilities to understand complex reality and generate a rich meaning-system and strong agency. Contrary to the claim that a simple Self is more ontologically secure because its narrative is easily kept continuous and routinized, this study shows that confronting reality and tolerating change through thick narratives despite the anxiety and pain the process generates, can provide ontological security in the future.

In Memoriam of William W. Harris (1953–2024): Narrating the Syrian Civil War

In Memoriam of William W. Harris (1953–2024): Narrating the Syrian Civil War

The Influence of “The Little Prince” on Communication Between Asylum-Seeking Children and Their Host Community Peers

Since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syrians have sought refuge in various nations, with Türkiye notably emerging as a prevalent destination. Due to Türkiye’s “open door” policy, rougbly 3.5 million Syrians have been conferred temporary protected status, with nearly half being children. Given the recent mass migrations, enduring migration flows, and substantial numbers of asylum-seeking children, fostering respect for diversity among children has become crucial. This research, therefore, was conceptualized to offer solutions within school social work aimed at promoting peace for asylum-seeking children facing segregation/discrimination. The study focuses on transforming the attitudes of host community children toward asylum-seeking children through literary works specifically “The Little Prince.” Utilizing a Parallel Mixed Methods Design, 30 participants were selected via purposive sampling. The study investigated: “How does the implementation of school social work through literary works influence respect for differences, tolerance and love among children?” The findings suggest that integrating school social work practices with artistic mediums, particularly literary works, should be considered for social work interventions targeting children and their social environments within educational programs in Türkiye.

Revisiting Veto Power in the Context of Atrocity Crimes: the Syrian Conflict as a Case Study

The excessive, abusive use of veto power during the war in Syria has prompted the international community to seek ways to overcome this veto power, mainly when doing so is necessary to prevent atrocities. The use of veto power to advance the national or regional interests as well as the economic, political, or strategic interests of a Security Council’s permanent member state on a way that impair a vital humanitarian interest of a state under conflict or the international community as a whole, undermines the Security Council’s role to maintain the international peace and security. This usage may also affect other states’ compliance with the veto power. In other words, the veto system could eventually lose its effectiveness if the international community continues to find justifications to non-compliance with the veto. This paper sheds light on events that have occurred during the Syrian war that give rise to Grotian Moments, or have the potential to do so, to create new customary international law rules governing the use of the veto power. Furthermore, this paper sorts out the principles invoked during those events as legal justifications to restrict or overthrow the veto power. Moreover, this paper identifies legal circumstances to facilitate any discussions regarding setting limitations on or obstructions to veto power in the context of atrocities. This research stresses the importance of determining a proper environment to overcome the veto power. This environment consists of unified, clear, and fair circumstances acceptable to all states, regardless of whether they are permanent or non-permanent members of the Security Council. Therefore, this proposal seeks to advance the legal system governing the use of the veto power for fighting brutality. Keywords: International criminal law, human rights law, universal jurisdiction, veto, customary international law, international organizations.

Unravelling future in displacement: Legality as an existential condition

ABSTRACT In January 2015, Lebanon introduced a visa regime for Syrians, provoking havoc and panic among those already displaced in the country as a result of the war in Syria. This paper examines Syrians’ affective reactions in order to retrace how displacement as an imposed legal-political category also becomes an existential condition. By drawing on my ethnographic fieldwork with Syrians in Lebanon, I capture the transformations in the transition from emergency to protracted displacement. The beginning of the “refugee crisis” saw Syrians struggling with socioeconomic hardships while their illegality was usually ignored. This configuration permitted the emergence of a presentist mode of being which nevertheless collapsed in the wake of the new visa regime. The elusiveness and illegibility of the new regulations made illegality and deportability real, tangible risks. This produced a sense of spatial–temporal entrapment in which the future colluded with the present and in which illegality became a status not only denying the entitlement to rights but also negating a claim to existence.

Power Peace: The Resolution of the Syrian Conflict in a Post-Liberal Era of Peacemaking

ABSTRACT The complexity of the Syrian conflict prompted the engagement of new actors of peacemaking – notably Turkey and Russia – whose interactions with the UN model have often been described as the confrontation of liberal versus illiberal norms and values. This article investigates the impact of these dynamics on peace and the political system in Syria. Building on the analysis of 100 interviews, it questions the liberal-illiberal dyad. Peacemaking in Syria is more hybrid. It is a marketplace where mediators of all types pursue ‘power peace’, or the pre-eminence of geopolitical interests and statecraft over any ideal of peace.

Jabhat al-Nusra’s attitudes towards tangible heritage in Syria: the disengagement from Al-qaeda

ABSTRACT On 28 July 2016, Jabhat al-Nusra announced its disengagement from militant international Islamist organization al-Qaeda and became Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. In January 2017, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham rebranded yet again when it merged with several other Syrian groups to establish Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS formed a civilian ‘Syrian Salvation Government’ to manage its regions. Among the transformations was in its attitudes towards the looting and destructions of antiquities, which had become endemic in Syria. HTS had targeted archaeological sites for destruction and looting. After its disengagement from al-Qaeda, HTS reopened the Idlib Museum in 2018, and claimed to protection of antiquities. This article aims to study the reasons and motives for the transformation in strategy of HTS regarding Syrian tangible heritage during the ongoing war in Syria and argues that this strategy remains one in which Syrian heritage is exploited for political gain within the context of a larger conflict.

The Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement and Its Reflection on the Arab Region

The protracted geopolitical rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been one of the major shaping factors in Middle Eastern dynamics for decades. However, signs of a potential improvement in diplomatic and political relationships between the two powers have raised hopes that the regional situation could change. This study will provide a detailed analysis of the ongoing Saudi-Iranian rapprochement and its implications for the Yemeni crisis, the Syrian conflict, the Palestinian cause, economic trade, security cooperation, and diplomatic ties. In examining these critical aspects, the research will develop the current understanding of the impact of the new deal between Riyadh and Tehran on the Middle East. One of the longest-standing rivalries across the Middle East has finally taken a first albeit inadequate to address two main foreign policy tenets of both Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudi-Iranian deal acknowledges the principles of “sovereignty of states” and “non-interference in internal affairs.” Over decades, their competition had a significant footprint in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Yemen. In these states, the foreign policy struggle of Riyadh and Tehran overlapped with the powerful and complex domestic counterparts. Internally, their fight took on ethnic, tribal, religious, sectarian, political, and ideological forms.

Peeling the multiple layers of inequalities in free higher education policies

ABSTRACT It has long been debated as to whether higher education (HE) is a site of social mobility that promotes meritocracy or social reproduction that creates and exacerbates inequalities in societies. In this paper, I will argue that HE, even when democratised and provided free to everyone, reproduces inequalities unless coupled with an inclusive sectoral design, an expansion of funding, and a wider strategy to reduce socio-economic inequalities. To do so, I studied the case of Syria, which has always claimed to have a meritocratic HE system that is designed to achieve equality in society by providing free HE for all since the 1970s. I analysed the database of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) for 15 academic years from 2001 to 2015. This database included data on students’ access and graduation rate divided by the type of education (public, private, higher institutes, and technical institutes), level of education (undergraduate and postgraduate), gender (male and female), city, faculty, and specialisations. This analysis unpacked four types of inequalities, namely education type-based inequalities, specialisation-based inequalities, city-based inequalities, and gender-based inequalities. Finally, I show how gender dynamics and roles are changing in the HE sector as a result of the Syrian conflict.