As transitional justice remains out of reach, hundreds of extrajudicial killings—predominantly of Alawites—have taken place in central Syria since the start of the year, with state security forces accused of involvement in some cases.
Thousands of Alawites have fled to Lebanon following sectarian killings on the Syrian coast. Local residents are springing into action, while some fear a spillover of violence.
Elation at the hope of returning home after Assad fell turned to shock for displaced Homs residents who found massive destruction and nonexistent services in areas they fled. Many turned back to northwestern Syria, waiting for reconstruction.
A landmark torture case brought against Syria by Canada and the Netherlands began at the UN’s highest court on Tuesday—with Damascus absent. While it is not a criminal case, torture survivors and family members of Syria’s disappeared say it marks another milestone in their long, slow fight for accountability.
The US-led international coalition removed and replaced the commander of the Maghawir al-Thawra faction in late September, in a move surrounded by internal disagreements, allegations of corruption and questions about the future of Rukban camp.
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.
Refugees who cannot return to Syria react to travel vloggers who claim to be apolitical and portray Syria as safe.
In the remote Rukban camp, falcon trapping has become an obsession among the desperate residents. But while hunters dream of changed lives, birds pay a high price.
In addition to the food blockade imposed by the Assad regime since 2016, al-Rukban camp, in the no-man's-land along the Syrian-Jordanian border, suffers a medical blockade following the close of the UNICEF medical point on the Jordanian side of the border in March 2020.
Shop owners in Old Homs are forced to reopen their stores or face legally-baseless seizures by the regime.
