Since the Syrian civil war erupted in March 2011, it's being called the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. Five years after it began, the full-blown civil war has killed over 250,000 people, with more than one million injured.
The UN estimates that over 6.5 million people are internally displaced. Five years of war has forced more than 4.5 million to flee the country. In addition, more than half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Anti-government demonstrations began in March of 2011, as part of the Arab Spring. The protests quickly turned into a civil war between the government and rebel forces. In October 2015, Russia began launching airstrikes at ISIL targets in Syria. In early February 2016, fighting around Aleppo city intensified and the main route for humanitarian aid was cut off.
