Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of Syria Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on May 15, 2018, and transitioned some of our coverage to Peacebuilding Deeply, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on the Syrian conflict. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].
Exploring Syrian civil society as well as grassroots and international social initiatives that deal with everyday civilian life in Syria.
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Alaa Syrian Civil Society Worker, Damascus
Alaa, a civil society worker who has been in Damascus since the start of the conflict, weighs in on the impact and the perception of civilians on the ground have of U.S. and Russian foreign intervention in Syria.
In this installment of our series of diaries from Syrian care providers, Abdullah, a psychosocial community health worker with a local partner of the International Rescue Committee in Idlib, discusses his work helping families cope with depression and other mental health issues that are rampant across the city.
Laurie Lee CEO of CARE International UK
Seven years of war in Syria have taught us that the international community no longer has any shame. But the upcoming Syria meeting in Brussels presents four opportunities to change that, writes Laurie Lee, CEO of CARE International UK.
Hashem Osseiran
Alessandria Masi Managing Editor, Syria Deeply
Kim Bode
In the latest installment of our Deeply Talks, Dr. Annie Sparrow, assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Dr. Mohamad Katoub, advocacy manager for the Syrian American Medical Society, discuss the deteriorating healthcare situation in Eastern Ghouta.
Fadi Al Dairi Syria Country Director, Hand in Hand
After the first airstrike hit near the hospital, those inside knew they would soon be targeted, writes Fadi Al Dairi, the Syria country director for Hand in Hand. The next 41 minutes were ones of fear.
The government’s ongoing offensive on Idlib province has already displaced thousands of civilians, many of whom previously fled violence in other areas, writes Cole Bockenfeld of the International Rescue Committee.
Alessandria Masi Managing Editor, Syria Deeply
Syria experts at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos weigh in on what must be done to improve the humanitarian situation and alleviate the impact of war in Syria.
For medical professionals in ISIS’ former stronghold of Raqqa, trying to save lives meant risking shelling, airstrikes and arrest.
The war in Syria significantly increased the number of so-called opposition media activists who documented alleged human rights abuses and war crimes. But as pro-government forces regain control of rebel-held territory, they fear for their future.
The rise of independent Syrian news outlets created more opportunities for women in the media, but many of Syria’s female journalists still face higher security risks than their male colleagues and rampant sexism in the workplace.
Karam Alhamad Syrian Activist and Researcher
As ISIS is pushed out of Deir Ezzor, local groups must lead the provision of public services and be given political representation. Failure to do this could lead to a new nationalist movement, writes local activist Karam Alhamad.
The explosive remnants of war pose a long-term threat to reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts in Syria. Women, however, are playing a notably growing role as humanitarian groups shift their focus to land-mine clearing and risk education.
The situation in the Rukban camp for internally displaced persons near the border with Jordan is rapidly deteriorating. International humanitarian groups are close to being overwhelmed, despite local NGOs and rebel groups trying to help out as well.
Sarmad, a founding member of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, initially sought safety from the Assad regime in Raqqa. Ultimately, he ended up risking his life to expose atrocities carried out by the so-called Islamic State in their de facto capital.
Rouba Mhaissen Syrian-Lebanese Economist, Activist, Community Mobilizer
Sidelining Syrian civil society groups in plans for rebuilding the country may lay the groundwork for future violence and unrest, writes activist and development practitioner Rouba Mhaissen.
In the first in our series of diary entries from Syrian doctors, Mahmoud Mustafa, director of the Independent Doctors Association, explains how he went from being an eye surgeon in Aleppo to providing emergency care amid attacks, sporadic aid access and exhaustion.
In this installment of ‘Pixels of War,’ our series on Syrian photographers, Faris al-Khattab discusses his view of Damascus from a besieged village in the south of the capital and a looming reconciliation deal in the area.
After being forced to flee eastern Aleppo in December, Wissam Zarqa moved to Idlib. Although the insurgent-held province is not known as a bastion of democracy, Zarqa will always remember it as the place where he voted in his first democratic election.
In Syria, volunteer emergency workers known as the White Helmets risk their lives to save people from bomb sites and airstrikes. At first, the White Helmets were made up only of men, but over the past few years, more than 100 female volunteers have joined their ranks.
Aaron Stein Senior Resident Fellow, Turkey with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Hossam Abouzahr Editor, SyriaSource and MENASource
Rao Komar Intern, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
At the end of major combat operations in Syria’s north, the Turkish government faces many challenges governing areas it now controls. Atlantic Council’s Aaron Stein, Hossam Abouzahr and Rao Komar tracked stabilization projects and violence in Aleppo’s northern countryside.
Henry Hogger Works with a Consultancy Organisation, Middle East Consultants (MEC) International
Former British ambassador to Syria Henry Hogger sees hope for progress in Syria. But what is missing in plans to rebuild the country, he argues, is the involvement of Syrians themselves.
Alex Hopkins Web Producer, Airwars
Entire families are more frequently being killed in coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to Airwars researcher Alex Hopkins. However, he writes in IRIN News, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which party is to blame.
In recent weeks Daraa has witnessed the most intense clashes and aerial bombardments it has seen for years. Despite the plan for “de-escalation zones,” civilians in the city are likely to be caught in the newest battlefield for foreign power proxies and the warring Syrian sides.
John Kluge Co-Founder, The Alight Fund
Lev Plaves Senior Portfolio Manager, Middle East at Kiva.org
On World Refugee Day, the Alight Fund’s John Kluge and Lev Plaves of the microfinance NGO Kiva explain the limitations facing Syrian refugees regaining their financial footing, and the launch of World Refugee Fund, an initiative crowdfunding loans for refugees.
Abu al Fadl devoted the final months of his life to clearing al-Bab of improvised explosives left behind by ISIS in everything from washing machines to cooking pots. The 60-year-old destroyed roughly 3,500 mines before one took his life.
Seven years of war have transformed Syrian monitoring groups into sophisticated investigation centers. But with few options to hold perpetrators of humanitarian law violations accountable, the number of Syrians supplying evidence of human rights violations is dwindling, along with their hope for justice.
Law professor David Crane, who has a record of taking on the prosecution of war criminals, is keeping a detailed record of the events in Syria for future prosecution. His Syrian Accountability Project’s latest report takes a close look at Aleppo.
The Syrian Women’s Advisory Board wants equal involvement of women and men as part of a peaceful transition for Syria. Board member Sawsan Zakzak made the case to negotiating parties at the latest round of Geneva talks and discussed its importance with News Deeply.
Thanks to a new handcrafts initiative in Istanbul, Syrian refugee women find confidence and artistic expression making earrings, as well as providing extra income for their households.
Domestic violence is reported to have risen sharply among Syrians forced to flee their homeland. While many aid programs target women, some groups in Lebanon are putting new focus on men, hoping to address the problem at the source.
Mansour Omari Syria Correspondent, Reporters Without Borders
On International Press Freedom Day, Syrian journalist and Syria correspondent for Reporters Without Borders Mansour Omari discusses the rise of citizen journalists documenting the conflict in Syria, which is an act of resistance itself.
Zeina Yagan Senior Associate, Orient Research Centre
Orient Research Centre associate Zeina Yagan discusses one of the many dilemmas that has emerged for Syrians during the conflict: How does one bridge the deep, sometimes emotionally charged, divides in the Syrian community?
Mercy Corps spokeswoman Christine Bragale discusses Ankara’s decision to close the aid agency’s operations in Turkey, which has served as a base for the group’s aid deliveries to Syria.
A portrait of how Syria’s war has carved homes into fighting factions, told through the story of Um Mahmoud, a Damascus mother whose three sons ended up on opposing sides of the battle lines.
Synaps experts Peter Harlin, Alex Simon and Rosalie Berthier explain the complex field of Syria’s humanitarian sector and the major issues that led to its failure for the Syrian people.
Farah is a young woman living in Syria’s capital city, where she faces the daily struggles of maintaining a normal social and professional life in a country being ripped apart by war.
Women being held in Syria’s government prisons report psychological abuse, sexual assault and torture. But for many, the emotional and physical suffering they experience after their release is even worse.
As Syria’s largest city falls to government forces after four years of fighting, Karam Foundation CEO and cofounder Lina Sergie Attar discusses the implications of Assad’s victory for the future of what was once Syria’s cultural and economic hub.
Syrian NGO Alliance, SHAML CSOs COALITION
Twenty-five NGOs working in Syria have condemned the international community’s “inefficacy, and moral bankruptcy” in the face of the destruction of Aleppo and are calling on world leaders to act immediately.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in eastern Aleppo this week as pro-government forces advance, putting additional pressure on western Aleppo shelters. The ICRC calls on all sides in the conflict to make civilian protection a priority.
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