Shutdown of Deir e-Zor’s informal refineries upends a hazardous local economy
As the Syrian government shuts down Deir e-Zor's informal oil refineries, a local industry faces collapse even as nearby communities are likely to reap health and environmental benefits.
Hasakah at a crossroads: Real integration, or recreating ‘security squares’?
As Damascus and the SDF inch towards integration, is northeastern Syria heading for unified state institutions, “complementary integration,” or a revival of divided influence?
No guarantees: What do Kurds think of the Damascus-SDF agreement?
Kurds in northeastern Syria are cautiously waiting to see what comes next as Damascus and the SDF take their first steps towards a fraught integration.
Caught between Damascus and Qandil, SDF integration hangs in the balance
A new integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF is underway in northeastern Syria, but major obstacles remain—from diverging interpretations of the deal to the deep influence of the PKK-linked “Qandil current.”
After the SDF: How can Raqqa mend its social fabric?
As Raqqa embarks on a future without the SDF, the northeastern Syrian city faces the delicate work of reintegrating former fighters and repairing social fractures left by years of shifting rule.
Op-Ed: Remains in the rubble: Integrating rights of the missing into Syria’s reconstruction policies
As rubble removal, recycling and reconstruction operations continue across Syria, there is an urgent need to regulate these processes in a way that accounts for human remains and the rights of both victims and their families, Mansour al-Omari writes.
In encircled Kobani, the specter of siege resurfaces
Encircled by government forces and without basic services, residents of Kurdish-majority Kobani fear a return to the city’s darkest days as the end of a fragile ceasefire approaches.
‘They left overnight’: Along the Euphrates, SDF withdrawal marks a turning point
The SDF’s sudden withdrawal has ushered in a new reality for Syrians in Deir e-Zor and Raqqa, where many are optimistic despite uncertainty about the days ahead.
Agreement under fire: Can the latest SDF-Damascus ceasefire hold?
A four-day ceasefire marks the latest effort to integrate SDF and Syrian government forces and avoid a dangerous military showdown, but its success hinges on each side’s willingness and ability to commit to the political process.
Sanctioned Syrian tycoon Hamsho eyes a ‘new chapter’ after financial settlement
A financial settlement between sanctioned Syrian business tycoon Muhammad Hamsho and the country’s new government has sparked controversy given his deep ties to the Assad regime and role in profiting from the country’s destruction.