Civil war is defined as an intense conflict between the state forces and one or more non-state actors within the state’s boundary. This differs from inter-state conflict in which two armies of the warring states are engaged. Civil war can be fought to cede territory from a state or it can also be fought to overthrow the central government. The causes of civil war vary from political to economic factors, but most of the civil wars have been fought due to economic grievances. Economic factors play a crucial role in the initiation of the conflict, and civil war is usually fought in societies where there is economic inequality and poor management of resources. The connection between the Civil War and financial elements is complex. Economic factors can play a role in the initiation of the Civil War or it is also affected by the outbreak of the Civil War. For instance, unemployment, economic inequality, and lack of economic opportunities have contributed to the eruption of the Civil war in Yemen. On the contrary, the Civil War has brought the country to the brink of economic destruction, and now 80% of the Yemenis live below the poverty line. The Civil Wars in Rwanda, Sierra Leo, Angola, and South Sudan are notable examples where economic factors played a key role in the outbreak of the Civil War. The genesis of the deadliest Civil war in Syria can also be traced in the ashes of the economic inferno that devastated the lives of common people. This economic breakdown provided a base for plunging the country into Civil War in 2011.

Overview of the Syrian Civil War:

In March 2011, people in Syria took to the streets against the government of Bashar al Asad, a dictator who has ruled the country since 2000. The protesters were motivated by the disposal of many leaders in other countries, like Zine El Abidine in Tunisia. After a month-long anti-government protest, has was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia in January 2011.  These pro-democracy demonstrators held extensive rallies across Syria and demanded Asad’s resignation. Instead of listening to their demands, the government met the protesters with brute force and killed thousands of protesters. As a result, many insurgent groups, like the Free Syrian Army, started to form as a result of the ruthless crackdown of the government. This was the initiation of one of the most deadly conflicts of modern times. This conflict had morphed into a full-scale Civil war by the middle of 2012. This conflict is still ongoing and has consumed tens of thousands of lives hitherto.

Role of Economic Factors:

The Syrian Civil War provides a convincing case study of the role of economic factors in the eruption of the Civil War. Economic inequality, rampant corruption, skyrocketing inflation, lack of economic opportunities, and unemployment among youth were some notable drivers in the eruption of the Civil War.

The economic inequality in the country was an important driver in steering the country into civil war. The economic policies of Assad benefited the urban elite and the majority of the rural population was in a disadvantaged position.  People were dissatisfied with the prevailing elite-centric economic structure and took to the streets to express their resentment. These protests later morphed into a full-blown Civil War. The economic policies of Asad’s regime favored the rural elite and completely neglected the common people. This further ignited anger among the common youth, especially in the regions where the rate of unemployment was high. For instance, the economy of Homs was weaker than that of Damascus, and Aleppo and had a high unemployment rate. The protest in this city erupted in April 2011 and intensified later. Hence the economic disparity between the rural and urban classes made people demand economic and social changes, raising further tension.

Unemployment among youth also contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Due to the lack of economic opportunities, the youth were dissatisfied with the government. Their frustration grew further when the government tried to quell the protesters, largely led by youth, with brute force. This intensified the protests which eventually turned into a full-scale Civil War. When the Crisis began, many businesses were shifted to Turkey and other countries, which also increased the unemployment in the country. The unemployment rate increased from 8.6% in 2010 to 14.9% in 2011. The terrorist groups took advantage of this crisis and started recruiting the youth. ISIS had recruited and trained hundreds if not thousands of children to carry out their notorious activities. The pressing unemployment provided the extremist organizations with an opportunity to exploit the youth, which further prolonged the conflict.

The lack of economic opportunities also fueled the war. The population was growing but the economy was not able to provide jobs to the millions of people entering the workforce. The frustrated people turned up against the state and started protesting demanding the resignation of the President. The percentage of the population with working age rose from 55.7% in 2001 to 58.6% in 2010. Some sectors saw a decrease in the number of workers, like agriculture and service during 2001-2010. In agriculture, the percentage of workers dropped from 30.4% in 2001 to 14.3% in 2010. Likewise, the percentage of workers in the service sector also dropped from 27.1% in 2005 to 24.8% in 2010. When people had no economic opportunities, they turned against the government which eventually led to the full-blown Civil War in mid-2012.

Poverty also played a vital role in fueling the civil war in Syria. Due to prevalent poverty, people became frustrated, which impeded the uprisings in different parts of the country. This widespread poverty also becomes a breeding ground for terrorist organizations to recruit new members. In 2023, the United Nations warned that 90% of the population is below poverty, which was 30% in 2005, according to the UNDP report. The lack of basic facilities made poor people vulnerable to extremist groups. The extremist organizations also provided lucrative incomes for the poor people. For instance, the Al-Nusrat front paid $300–400 to its fighters. The pathetic economic condition prompted the poor people to join the protests, demanding the restoration of democracy and Assad’s resignation.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, economic factors have played a vital role in initiating and fueling the Syrian War. The economic inequality and the elite control of the economy filled people with resentment,         which provided a perfect ground for the uprising. Unemployment, another major contributor to the conflict, also left the Youth hopeless about their future. They showed their frustration in the form of violent protests against the government. Furthermore, the lack of economic opportunities among the common people further alienated them from the government, fueling the protests and riots. Moreover, poverty also left common people with no option other than joining extremist organizations like ISIS and Al-Nusra Front. Curing these economic challenges is necessary for a sustainable and long-term solution to the ongoing conflict. Achieving peace will remain pipedream until and unless these economic grievances are addressed.