The Syrian civil war: timeline, UK aid and statistics

It is more than 13 years since the first anti-government protests in Syria began in 2011. President Bashar al-Assad had been widely considered as likely to remain in power following the intervention of Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah in support. As of November 2024, he held around 60% to 70% of Syria and had been strengthened internationally by the Arab League re-admitting Syria as a member in 2023. Syria had been suspended in 2011.

In 2024, the most extensive armed violence and change in military control for several years occurred. Syria has been affected by the conflicts between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran. In December 2024 President Assad lost Syria’s second city, Aleppo, to non-government groups including Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK). Days later, opposition forces entered Damascus and President Assad left Syria, reportedly being given asylum in Russia.

This research briefing provides a timeline of main events, statistics on the humanitarian and economic effects of the war, UK military actions against Islamic State/Daesh and UK humanitarian aid for Syria, and a list of further reading and regularly updated resources on the conflict.

The Library research briefing, Syria’s civil war in 2023: Syria back in the Arab League provides background on the conflict, the Assad government, the role of foreign powers in Syria, and peace talks, as of June 2023. The briefing, Syria after Assad 2024/25: Consequences and next steps provides information on situation after his fall, as of December 2024.

Humanitarian need in Syria

In March 2024, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimated that 16.7 million people in Syria were expected to require humanitarian assistance, the highest since 2011 and representing 71% of the population. This included 3.5 million people in Aleppo and 2.6 million in Idlib. UNOCHA also estimated that 12.9 million people are food insecure. The price of a standard food basket was 133 times higher in 2023 than it was in 2013.

There has been substantial economic disruption. In 2024 the World Bank said the Syrian economy shrank 54% from 2010 to 2021 and Assad government expenditure was 87% lower in 2023 compared with  2010, with reductions in social security and food and gas subsidies.

The World Bank also said trade in the drug captagon was possibly the “most valuable sector in Syria’s economy”, with an annual market of US$5.6 billion. The Assad government was considered the major producer and beneficiary of the trade, which affects neighbouring states.

UK humanitarian aid

The UK has provided over £4 billion in aid to Syria from 2011 to 2022. Bilateral aid to Syria peaked in 2016 at £352 million. Reflecting the reduction in UK aid spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income, UK aid to Syria fell each year from 2019 to 2022, before rising in 2023. The budgeted spend by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is £97 million in 2024/25. In Decemeber, the government announced an additional £11 million.

UK military action against Islamic State/Daesh

Since August 2014, the UK has conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Daesh/Islamic State (IS), under Operation Shader, and provided military support to the US-led coalition. Operations in Syria began in December 2015.

The global coalition against Islamic State in Iraq will end by September 2025, which will affect operations in Syria. The UK and US will develop bilateral defence relations with Iraq going forward. As of September 2024, the RAF have flown 10,000 sorties against Islamic State, striking 1,400 targets and also providing surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The UK has given training to 111,000 members of the Iraqi and Kurdish security forces.

As of 31 March 2023, one member of the UK Armed Forces has been killed in action during Operation Shader and three have suffered battle injuries. A further five military personnel died during the operations, but not in hostile action. The most recent figures to 2021/22 show that the total cost of Operation Shader has amounted to £2.5 billion in real terms (2022/23 prices) since 2014. The cost of the operations peaked in 2017/18 and has since fallen by around 67%.

Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq

In July 2024 the US Central Command warned that Islamic State was “on pace to more than double the total number of attacks” it claimed in Iraq and Syria in 2023, with 153 claimed attacks from January to June 2024. It estimated around 2,500 Islamic State fighters remained at large across Iraq and Syria and 9,000 remained in detention facilities, including in northeastern Syria.

In 2017, the UN estimated that more than 40,000 foreign fighters from 110 countries travelled to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and that 5,600 from 33 states had returned home. Many remain in Syria, either in custody or at large. The number of UK citizens who have fought with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is uncertain – in 2019, the government estimated they numbered 900. An estimated 540 had returned, with 180 to 320 remaining in Syria.