By Raheel Ibrahim* (Damascus and Latakia, Syria) – Dima is from the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, and had never flown in an airplane before the uprising in Syria began two years ago. Now, because travel on Syria’s roads so dangerous, the 25 year-old student of Arabic literature at the University of Damascus is a seasoned flyer. “[Flying] was a [...]

Editor’s note: The editorial team has used only the first names of some of the interviewees and concealed the names of others for their own safety. Rahif Ghanem* The theft of crude oil is a rising phenomenon in the Syrian region of Deir El Zor, where predatory merchants and thieves have punctured oil pipelines to siphon off and then sell [...]

Raheel Ibrahim Anyone who visited the city of Latakia before the start of the crisis in Syria would remember how full it was on weekends, beginning in Spring: people sitting in cafes from the early morning hours or strolling along the corniche, while groups of tourists flocked to the archaeological sites, beaches and the mountains surrounding the city.

Rasha Rami Anyone approaching the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria is reminded of times past when trade between the two countries was thriving.

When the Syrian regular forces entered Hama, Idlib and the countryside of Aleppo province, not only did they force many residents to run for their lives, they destroyed the economic infrastructure by burning down stores and laying waste to agricultural lands. Abu Muhammad, who fled from the countryside in Aleppo province to the Kalas refugee camp in Turkey, says tanks [...]

“Syria is fine” and “it’s over” are two oft-repeated assertions among Syrian officials, collaborators and supporters of the regime, referring to the supposed end of the Syrian crisis. Facts on the ground, however, indicate that Syrians have many more difficult days ahead of them, whether the crisis ends now or continues until the regime is toppled.

Consequences of current instability on employment, job market and inflation cannot be underestimated Syria’s political situation has inevitably affected its economy. The market is far from encouraging for workers and the economic situation is instable. As Syrian officials’ sonorous statements continue, depicting the regime and its leader as the tender father who solves many problems, the issue has arisen of [...]

Daraa, June 22, At one of the check-points in the village of Horan, a member of the security forces stopped a woman heading to the besieged city of Daraa, asking her sarcastically, “Do you still want freedom?” “I do not want freedom, but I want the regime to fall,” she said, and spat in his face. A volley of shots [...]

Analysis: New media in Syria remains in thrall to the regime By Shahine Mroue The apple of Syria’s private news media has not fallen very far from the state-controlled tree. A tangle of propaganda has always prevented professional media from serving the public, as well as the journalists themselves. The best examples of this among of the excess of websites [...]

Today, Damascus is a thriving, yet divided city. A small elite of nouveaux riches enjoy life to the fullest, drive the latest car models, shop in fancy fashion stores and dine in expensive restaurants. The majority of the Syrians though struggle hard to make ends meet. The celebration of President Bashar Al-Assad’s tenth anniversary of accession to power took an [...]