Syria is a Middle Eastern country bordering Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Turkey, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It has a total of 185,180 square kilometers, although 1,295 square kilometers is Israeli-occupied territory. (CIA)

As of 2016, Syria was estimated to have a population of 17,185,170 people.  90.3% are Arab, while the remaining 9.7% constitutes the Kurdish, Armenian, and other ethnicities. The official languages of Syria include Arabic (official) Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French and English. The religious distribution is as follows: 87% Muslim (includes 74% Sunni and 13% Alwai, Ismaili, Shia), 10% Christian (includes Orthodox, Uniate, Nestorian), 3% Druze, and a few Jewish civilians that have remained in Damascus and Aleppo. (CIA)

Syrian Crisis: 

The Syrian Civil War (2012- ) has had a tremendous impact on the infrastructure, culture, economy, and healthcare of Syria. From the cost of the war itself to the cost of the healthcare necessities, not to mention the high cost of human lives, the Syrian Civil War has taken a huge toll on the country's overall healthcare. Before the eruption of the war in 2012, Syria's health care system was relatively stable. In fact, when compared to its surrounding countries, Syria was thought to have a very strong health care system. (Sharara 2014). Ironically, within a very short timespan, Syria's health care abruptly changed from one of the best in the region to one in most need of help. The crisis faces challenges on many different levels, making it very difficult for interventions to target the problem successfully. In addition, the large volume of people affected by this crisis also poses another challenge for the intervention techniques. Finally, the war itself poses a very large challenge as territories within Syria are continuously bombed and targeted, making it very difficult for help to get through the battle lines. 

Five years of war, and still counting, has led to one of the biggest humanitarian outcries. Millions of lives are at stake due to improper healthcare treatments, insufficient resources, war attacks, or lack of a place to call home (Sharara. 2014). Preventable diseases such as polio are now back on the rise due to insufficient vaccinations. Victims suffering from lost limbs, amongst other critical injuries, are forced to continue living in unhealthy environments. Whilst the direct effects of the war have grabbed the attention of so many, secondary effects must also be noted in this situation. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is experienced by many victims of the war, especially children. Women kidnapped by war soldiers are often sexually abused and mistreated.  Loved ones are often times killed right in front of their family members. Medical facilities and personnel are targeted by the war forces, further destroying the healthcare system within seconds.

To this day, the Syrian Civil War has cost the lives of far too many innocent people. The disorganized fighting has defied the rules of war, expanding far past its border and limitations.  Syria's victims lie in the hands of thousands of brave volunteers and staff willing to risk their lives in order to help these victims. The war has no morality. It has no ethics. There is no doubt, the war has caused Syria to enter its largest humanitarian crisis.