"It's going to new lows that these banned weapons are being used
and civilians and children are being killed," said Kimberly
Brown, a conflict adviser with Save the Children. The
organization is working with refugees in countries around Syria,
including Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. How did the Syrian crisis
begin? What started as security forces cracking down on mostly
nonviolent protesters has spiraled into a civil war between pro-
government forces and the rebels, including the Free Syrian
Army. About 40,000 civilians have been killed since the first
protests 20 months ago against President Bashar al-Assad's
government, according to the opposition Center for Documentation
of Violations in Syria. And more than 380,000 Syrian refugees
have fled to neighboring countries, creating humanitarian
challenges abroad. The Syrian government routinely refers to its
battle against "terrorists," the term it uses for rebel fighters
and extremist elements in the country. CNN cannot confirm claims
by the government or the oppos