Damascus residents speak with a new tone, using new words, as entrenched fears unravel with the fall of the Assad regime. Still, concerns remain about what awaits in a new Syria.
Immediately after the Assad regime fell, Israel launched a massive bombing operation targeting the full spectrum of Syria’s military capabilities across the country while beginning a ground incursion along the border with the occupied Golan Heights.
In the chaotic, jubilant process of emptying Assad’s prisons—including the notorious Saydnaya on the outskirts of Damascus—misinformation has spread and crucial evidence has been tampered with, SNHR’s Nour al-Khatib tells Syria Direct.
As the situation in and around Damascus rapidly changed throughout the day on Saturday, three civilians in and around the capital told Syria Direct what they were seeing, hearing and feeling.
The view from the ground in the East Ghouta suburbs of Damascus is one of a worried regime withdrawing its forces from the interior of cities and reinforcing checkpoints on their outskirts “for fear of being targeted,” residents say.
Under the threat of Israeli bombs in Lebanon, Syrian-Palestinians face many barriers to returning to Syria—particularly those from Yarmouk camp, where most hail from.
Mezzeh, an upscale neighborhood long sought-after for safety and better services than other parts of the Syrian capital, has become a repeated target for Israeli bombing due to the presence of figures affiliated with Iran and Hezbollah.
Increasing numbers of Syrian public sector employees left their jobs due to low pay and high living costs over the past three years, despite the fact that quitting without permission is a criminal offense.
To obtain records from Syrian public universities, students must apply in person or through legal proxies. If this is not possible, or if they are wanted by the security services, they are forced to pay hundreds of dollars in bribes to state employees through brokers.
In 2023, the Syrian pound fell to an unprecedented low, with living conditions in the country at their “worst since the beginning of the 20th century.” Will 2024 bring any relief, or only more of the same?
