Syria

Syrian soldiers

‘I wished to die’: Syrian American sues Syria’s government over alleged torture

​​​​​​​A Syrian American man has filed a civil lawsuit in the US against the government of Syria for allegedly detaining and torturing him in 2012. Obada Mzaik was 22 years old when he was arrested at the Damascus airport.

‘I wished to die’: Syrian American sues Syria’s government over alleged torture
building that was destroyed

Life returns to Antakya, a city nearly leveled by earthquakes in southern Turkey

Life returns to Antakya, a city nearly leveled by earthquakes in southern Turkey
A lab worker removes crane hoist from a load of rebar used to construct full-scale buildings and bridge spans that are then pushed to the limit in field tests.

This ‘earthquake lab’ is designing buildings to withstand natural disasters

This ‘earthquake lab’ is designing buildings to withstand natural disasters
People who lost their houses in the devastating earthquake, lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp, in Iskenderun city, southern Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

'Assad can't clean up his act with a natural disaster,' US Amb. to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says

'Assad can't clean up his act with a natural disaster,' US Amb. to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says
eathquake damage

Getting earthquake aid in Syria depends on where survivors live

Getting earthquake aid in Syria depends on where survivors live
Zehra Kurukafa walks past a destroyed house in the village of Polat, Turkey, Feb. 12, 2023.

Turkey earthquake survivors face despair, as rescues wane

While stories of near-miraculous rescues have flooded the airwaves in recent days, tens of thousands of dead have also been found during the same period.

Turkey earthquake survivors face despair, as rescues wane
buildings collapsed in rubble

The geology behind the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

This corner of the globe sits at the intersection of three tectonic plates, including the Arabian Plate that’s moving northward into Europe. Pressure along the fault has been building, and when it finally released, it appears that an area nearly 120 miles long and 15 miles wide got displaced, unleashing the earthquake. 

The geology behind the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Firefighters and rescue teams search for people in a destroyed building, in Adana, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes

The earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria on Monday have killed over 12,000 people, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue crews race against time to save people trapped beneath rubble.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes
people search through rubble

‘There were screams everywhere’: Residents of northwest Syria grapple with quake aftermath

​​​​​​​Entire neighborhoods have been leveled in northwestern Syria, where an earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning. This region of Syria is home to millions of people displaced by years of civil war. Even before the quake, they had been living in already dire conditions.

‘There were screams everywhere’: Residents of northwest Syria grapple with quake aftermath
Men remove debris as they search for people in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023.

After deadly quake in Turkey, rescue teams struggle to help amid frigid temps

The death toll has surpassed 5,000, with thousands of others injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. Rescue teams are trying to find people buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

After deadly quake in Turkey, rescue teams struggle to help amid frigid temps
People and rescue teams try to reach trapped residents inside collapsed buildings in Adana, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023.

Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 2,300

Rescue workers and residents in multiple cities are searching for survivors, after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early on Monday.

Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 2,300
woman with letter

Court orders Canada to take back its citizens from camps in Syria

A court in Canada has ordered the government to repatriate 23 of its citizens who have been detained in camps for suspected ISIS members and their families in northeastern Syria. If not challenged, this would be the largest repatriation of Canadians from Syria so far.

Court orders Canada to take back its citizens from camps in Syria
Syrian children who are refugees in Turkey face many barriers to learning.

In Turkey, refugee children face hurdles to school enrollment

Many Syrian families in Turkey face school enrollment challenges due to a Turkish law that says no more than 30% of schoolchildren in a single class can be foreigners. Families in border cities like Gaziantep say their children are being turned away with few alternatives.

In Turkey, refugee children face hurdles to school enrollment
soldiers in a tank

As bombs fall, northern Syria braces for a potential Turkish invasion

Human rights groups warn that a Turkish invasion could trigger a new exodus of refugees, and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis in northern Syria.

As bombs fall, northern Syria braces for a potential Turkish invasion
people at gas pump

Renewed calls in Syria to overthrow Assad regime

Protesters in the southern Syrian city of Suweida stormed a government building and torched pictures of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. They called for overthrowing the president, whom they blame for the worsening economic conditions.

Renewed calls in Syria to overthrow Assad regime