Lyse Mauvais

Beekeeping is an ancient tradition in Syria, where native bees used to produce world-famous honey. But decades of intensive farming, economic hardship and environmental degradation have shattered the delicate relationships that once united bees and humans.

Thousands of Syrian Kurds remain stateless 60 years after they were stripped of citizenship. As refugees, they face unique asylum challenges, pushing them toward dangerous, informal migration routes.

Videos and pictures showing tree cutting in Syria’s Afrin district sparked horror and shock on social media this week. Local environmental activists accuse Turkish-backed factions of involvement in “crimes against nature.”

Amid a historic drought, dozens of new wells are being drilled across northwest Syria to meet a rising demand for water. But the overpumped water table is dropping, while farmers struggle with skyrocketing costs and decreasing water quality.

In May, UNICEF abruptly reduced the water supply to Rukban camp, in Syria’s southern desert. Feeling abandoned by the international community, local groups and Syrian aid organizations are stepping in to relieve the parched camp.

Why is Turkey interested in building housing in northern Syria? Who funds and implements these projects? And why are some human rights actors concerned about Ankara’s activities?

In northwestern Syria, hundreds of makeshift refineries have mushroomed in the past five years, employing thousands of people.
With no regulation, their impact on health, life and the environment is catastrophic.

Makeshift oil refineries endanger the health of workers and local communities in northwestern Syria. But their environmental impact, often overlooked, will also affect generations to come.

Two workers at a makeshift oil refinery in Tarhin speak about their job, the hardships they endure and the dreams they hold for the future.

Eleven years on, funding for Syria is stagnating while needs grow. Women are among those most affected by funding gaps in the health sector.