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A mural painting is seen on the wall of a destroyed school in Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Displaced Syrian women walk at a camp in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Syrian Ibrahim al-Ali is assisted by his children, at the Deir Hassan camp for the displaced where they reside, in Idlib's northern countryside near the Turkish border. The 33-year-old father of four first lost three fingers, later his hearing in one ear. Then all at once, both legs and eyes. Ibrahim al-Ali was wounded every time he tried to escape Syria's war. AFP
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Syrian Ibrahim al-Ali sits in his wheelchair at the Deir Hassan camp for the displaced in Idlib's northern countryside near the Turkish border. The 33-year-old father of four first lost three fingers, later his hearing in one ear. Then all at once, both legs and eyes. Ibrahim al-Ali was wounded every time he tried to escape Syria's war. AFP
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Displaced Syrian children pose for a picture at a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Displaced Syrian children play in a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Displaced Syrian children live in a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A Syrian man rides his motorcycle in a destroyed neighbourhood of Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A Turkish military tank is seen in a destroyed neighbourhood of Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A Syrian woman waits with her children next to a motorcycle in Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A mural painting is seen on the wall of a destroyed school in Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Displaced Syrian women walk at a camp in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Q5YFRONQAME6DPQ3SUBFCUTK5Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=63ad885fe69dc8d1506bb642b8bda68f52bf27829714df878a9e0b6f767dc950&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Ibrahim al-Ali is assisted by his children, at the Deir Hassan camp for the displaced where they reside, in Idlib's northern countryside near the Turkish border. The 33-year-old father of four first lost three fingers, later his hearing in one ear. Then all at once, both legs and eyes. Ibrahim al-Ali was wounded every time he tried to escape Syria's war. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LKAYP72U4PIV42E76EGTLYQR7A.jpg?smart=true&auth=83ca72ad434deb3c858b82ef4f804e67fb240a2ce04d9e2d9be36544d31566eb&width=400&height=225)
Syrian Ibrahim al-Ali sits in his wheelchair at the Deir Hassan camp for the displaced in Idlib's northern countryside near the Turkish border. The 33-year-old father of four first lost three fingers, later his hearing in one ear. Then all at once, both legs and eyes. Ibrahim al-Ali was wounded every time he tried to escape Syria's war. AFP
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Displaced Syrian children pose for a picture at a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4EAEYNCYH5IL4FXH3R44KQVW34.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4e2cbc727b6ab1c9fd06ed70c89081fd1e5bc1047a186f63db9d9e91d84cf43&width=400&height=225)
Displaced Syrian children play in a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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Displaced Syrian children live in a camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A Syrian man rides his motorcycle in a destroyed neighbourhood of Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5NYGOE5I4EM3S2HMC6U6WZPXU.jpg?smart=true&auth=dbb8e4a29a399a3df4f81a505fa6baeaf901923a88f572b1b6998d581d1e8704&width=400&height=225)
A Turkish military tank is seen in a destroyed neighbourhood of Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A Syrian woman waits with her children next to a motorcycle in Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
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A mural painting is seen on the wall of a destroyed school in Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria. When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country's entire population displaced. AFP
Coronavirus would be ‘impossible to manage’ in conflict zones, says Red Cross head of health
Having people give priority to containing coronavirus could be challenge in war zones, where many face more immediate threats
Olivia Cuthbert
12 March, 2020
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