Bio
Walid Al Nofal
Walid Al Nofal is a journalist with Syria Direct originally from Daraa province in southern Syria. He worked as a field reporter shortly after the Syrian revolution began in 2011 until he moved to Jordan in 2013. Today, Walid’s work focuses on documenting humanitarian violations committed by various actors in the Syrian conflict.
Latest Articles
‘Waiting for chaos’: IS adapts under pressure, betting on the failure of Syria’s transition
Harried by government security campaigns, IS appears unable to regain territorial control in Syria, instead working to maintain visibility through limited operations while betting on the failure of the country’s transition.
Outside the plan: Urban growth outpaces roads and services in Daraa
Driven by high property prices, Daraa residents are building homes beyond the planned boundaries of cities and towns, creating new neighborhoods without basic infrastructure and presenting already overstretched municipalities with a dilemma.
‘A repellent environment’: How Israel is reshaping life in southern Syria
Israeli incursions and violations are making life increasingly untenable in southern Syrian border villages, as residents curtail their movements, suspend reconstruction and investment, and consider leaving if they have alternatives.
White earth: Soil salinization threatens farming in Raqqa’s Euphrates river basin
Soil salinization is a complex and expanding crisis in rural Raqqa, where fields are becoming unusable and farmers have limited means to respond.
Al-Sharaa’s shakeup: A merit-based state, or a circle of trust?
Following President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s reshuffle of governors and ministers, questions have emerged over whether the appointments reflect growing public discontent or signal a preference for trust and security control over participation and competence.
Suwayda’s students caught up in the struggle with Damascus
Despite progress in talks between Suwayda education officials and Damascus to secure recognition of upcoming baccalaureate exams, students are wary of a repeat of last year, when thousands were left with unrecognized certificates amid an ongoing rift with the government.
Reconstruction plan for eastern Damascus neighborhoods alarms residents
A proposal to rebuild destroyed neighborhoods in eastern Damascus through private investment and partial compensation for property owners has angered and alarmed residents who consider it “theft” and disguised expropriation.
Red lines and death threats: Freedom of expression wanes in Suwayda
Under pressure and death threats, a number of journalists and activists have fled Suwayda in recent months as the space for free expression narrows in the Druze-majority southern province.
‘A long way to go’: As Syrians commemorate the revolution, has it achieved its goals?
On the second anniversary of the revolution since the fall of the Assad regime, have its earliest aims—freedom, justice, dignity and the rule of law—been achieved, or is the journey far from over?
With rare movement in Suwayda-Damascus deadlock, can a solution emerge?
After months of deadlock, a prisoner swap between Damascus and Suwayda opened a “new” negotiating channel, but is there a way forward amid internal divisions and struggles over representation?