Violence in Syria is on the rise while aid is flagging as the civil war enters its 14th year

By OMAR ALBAM and ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

AL-NAYRAB, Syria (AP) — Syria’s civil war has entered its 14th year, a somber anniversary in a long-frozen conflict. The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus government, various opposition groups and Kurdish forces. Lately, however, violence has been on the rise on multiple fronts while the world’s attention is mostly focused on other crises, such as Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Ahead of Friday’s anniversary, the U.N.-backed commission Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said earlier this week that since October, the country has seen the worst wave of violence since 2020.