How the Small Town of Sarmada Became Syria's Gateway to the World - Carnegie Middle East Center - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Sarmada’s transformation was set in motion by the militarization of the Syrian uprising in 2012 and accelerated by Syria’s descent, shortly thereafter, into full-blown civil war. In 2012, the regime’s gradual withdrawal of its forces from rural areas in Idlib, where rebel activity was on the rise, cut Aleppo off from its economic hinterland. Meanwhile, rebel groups and regime forces carved up the city itself between them. The toll was devastating in terms of loss of human life, flight of both capital and skilled labor, and destruction of infrastructure. The nerve center of Syria’s com...
Source: carnegie-mec.org