Shirin Jaafari is a reporter for The World focusing on the Middle East. She has covered conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. Her reporting focuses on current events, politics, conflict and human rights. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Harvard’s Extension School. Before joining The World, Shirin worked for the BBC in Washington, DC. Shirin was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2009 and she received an honorable mention from the Gracie Award in 2022 for her coverage of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.When not filing for radio, she can be found hiking and camping in the mountains.You can find her on Twitter @Shirinj.
After Taliban ban, women NGO workers in Afghanistan struggle to make ends meet
Last December, in yet another blow to women’s rights in Afghanistan, the Taliban announced a ban on women working for nongovernmental organizations. Thousands of women lost their jobs overnight. The months since have been some of the most difficult for them.
Factory that made essential therapeutic food for malnourished children in Sudan burns down
Negotiations continue in Saudi Arabia to end fighting in Sudan
In Sudan, volunteers step up to help those caught in the crossfire
Canada unveils a first-of-a-kind Eid stamp this year
‘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.
This Iraqi lost an eye in a protest. He's still fighting for 'real democracy.'
Mohannad Saad Mohammad lost an eye in Iraq’s protests that became known as the Tishreen or the October movement. The demonstrations that began in 2019 have mostly dissipated but Mohammad says he won’t stop fighting for a better Iraq.
4 years later, the legacy of ISIS prevents these Iraqi children from going to school
Thousands of Iraqi children who lived under the brutal rule of ISIS in northern Iraq still face obstacles. Iraqi families who were issued official identification documents by ISIS continue to have a hard time getting their kids into school, because the government doesn't recognize their paperwork.
Young Iraqis reflect on the US-led invasion, its aftermath and their hopes for the future
Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom," the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. Two decades later, Iraqis who've lived through these turbulent and violent years share their thoughts about the war's impact on their lives, about how they view the US now and about their hopes and concerns for the future of Iraq.
Iraq’s revived art scene is helping to heal the country’s wounds
Years of war and violence have interrupted and undermined Iraq’s music scene, with many musicians fleeing the country. But the current relative stability has created a space for its revival.
Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at George W. Bush says his country is still paying the price for the US-led invasion
Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi was thrust into the global spotlight in 2008 after he threw his shoes at then-US President George W. Bush. Two decades after the US-led invasion of Iraq, he says his country is still paying the price.
He spoke out against banning girls’ education. The Taliban silenced him.
Ismail Mashal used to teach at two universities in Afghanistan. He ran his own education centers and was an outspoken critic of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. He was arrested earlier this month, along with another academic and a journalist.
Getting earthquake aid in Syria depends on where survivors live
More than a week after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Syria, outside help has been slow to arrive. Parts of the country that have been impacted fall into two main categories: ones that are under government control and those that are not. In opposition-held areas relief has been almost nonexistent.
‘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.
Wagner mercenary group recruits Africans held in Russian prisons
In recent months, reports have emerged that at least two men, one from Zambia and another from Tanzania, were killed while fighting for the Wagner group in Ukraine. Wagner reportedly recruited the men from Russian prisons, promising them amnesty.