Today, Syria is the single biggest source of refugees in the world. More than 3 million refugees have poured into Turkey and Lebanon, where refugee camps are becoming increasingly overcrowded and unlivable.
As the condition of the camps deteriorates, many are seeking safe passage to the European Union via Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia. More than 2,500 people have died trying.
xternal powers have also been accused of fostering sectarianism in what was a broadly secular state, pitching the country's Sunni majority against the president's Shia Alawite sect. Such divisions have encouraged both sides to commit atrocities that have not only caused loss of life but also torn apart communities, hardened positions and dimmed hopes for a political settlement.
