The Arab Winter is a term for the rise of authoritarianism and religious extremism, evolving in the aftermath of the Arab Spring protests in Arab League countries. The concept was first used by The Washington Post in December 2011. According to scholars of the University of Warsaw, the Arab Spring fully devolved into Arab Winter four years since its onset. The Arab Winter is characterized by the emergence of multiple regional civil wars, mounting regional instability, economic and demographic decline of Arab countries, and ethno-religious sectarian strife. According to a study by the American University of Beirut, as of summer 2014 the Arab Winter resulted in nearly a quarter of a million deaths and millions of refugees.