[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
English Links
Inside Syria
Al- Monitor: Syrian Jihadi Group in Idlib Goes After Gas Stations (11 August 2021)
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forced gas stations near the Ghazawiya crossing in the western countryside of Aleppo to close. The gas stations are owned by civilians, but HTS claims they are Sham Legion operatives, and the stations are not licensed by the Salvation Government affiliated with HTS. Civilians speculate HTS shut the stations down because they sold gas at a cheaper price than the HTS-affiliated Watad fuel company.
Middle East Eye: Residents of Daraa al-Balad Struggle to Survive Under Siege (11 August 2021)
The regime’s siege on Daraa al-Balad has cut civilians off from necessities like fuel, electricity, and medical services creating a humanitarian crisis for the 50,000 people who live in the area.
The New Arab: Explosion Reported on Ship at Syria’s Latakia Port, Fire Put Out (11 August 2021)
An unidentified ship at the Latakia port was set on fire by an explosion, causing considerable material damage to the port. It has been suggested that the ship was being used to transfer Iranian oil to Syria.
OCHA: Dara’a Flash Update 2, Hostilities in Dara’a Governorate (12 August 2021)
Artillery shelling and ground clashes remain ongoing in Daraa as the humanitarian crisis worsens. Residents face shortages in necessities such as fuel and bread. The number of displaced is growing, with most Internally Displaced People (IDPs) being hosted by relatives and friends in communities in Daraa city and others seeking refuge in six collective shelters in the city.
The New Arab: Video Shows Assad Forces Burning Bodies of Syrian Dissidents who Died Under Torture (12 August 2021)
Videos released by Zaman Al-Wasl depict regime forces burning the bodies of detainees killed under torture between 2011-2013 in Daraa province.
Syrian Accountability and Justice Centre (SJAC): Spike in “Honor Killings” Fuels Protests for Accountability in Northeast Syria” (12 August 2021)
Following two honor killings in northeast Syria, a debate has emerged among community members about how the perpetrators should be prosecuted. Honor killings are not new to northeast Syria, but there has been a growing backlash from members of the community who are demanding an end to the practice.
Al Monitor: Drug Use Surges in Opposition-Controlled Areas in Northwest Syria (13 August 2021)
Opposition-controlled northwest Syria is facing a rise in narcotic-use, precipitating growing demand for greater cooperation between the security forces in the countryside of Aleppo and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army factions to stop drug trafficking and abuse.
UNRWA: Vulnerable Palestine Refugees Affected by Ongoing Clashes in Southern Syria (15 August 2021)
Approximately one third of the 30,000 Palestine refugees registered in south Syria used to live in the Daraa camp for Palestine refugees. The camp, suffered large-scale destruction due to the hostilities, leading to the displacement of more than half of the families who previously resided in the camp. Some Palestine refugees have returned to the camp, however, they face increasingly challenging humanitarian conditions.
Regional and International Perspective
Al Monitor: Syrian Homes, Businesses Destroyed in Turkish Capital Amid Rising Anti-Immigrant Sentiment (12 August 2021)
Anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey last week turned violent when a Syrian neighborhood was rampaged in Ankara. A working-class suburb of Altindag was targeted, with cars, homes, and local shops owned by Syrians damaged.
The New Arab: Assad Regime Sends Syria Envoy to US to Repair Ties After Fall out with Russia (16 August 2021)
According to a Russian diplomatic source, Assad sent an envoy to the United States (US) in an attempt to repair relations.
Middle East Monitor: Iran Militias Violate Daraa Ceasefire (16 August 2021)
Even though Assad and opposition leaders in Daraa agreed on a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal, Assad regime forces and pro-Assad Iranian militias continue their bombardment of opposition areas.
Arts and Culture
Syria Untold: The Traitor (9 August 2021)
Syria Untold provides a translated excerpt of Syrian poet Muhmmad Dibo’s forthcoming Arabic-language novel The Traitor.
Syria Untold: A Decade of Syrian Comics (13 August 2021)
Comic4Syria, a collective for comics developed by Syrian artists that published between 2014-2016, serves as a valuable archive depicting the everyday reality of the war during this period.
The Guardian: Planet of Clay by Samar Yazbek Review-Bold Portrayal of Besieged People (15 August 2021)
In her new book Planet of Clay, author Samar Yazbek exposes the brutality of war in Syria from the perspective of a young mute girl from Damascus.
Documentaries and Podcasts
The Guardian: Sabaya: the shocking documentary filmed inside Syria’s notorious al-Hawl camp (12 August 2021)
A new documentary tells the story of brave volunteers from the Yazidi Home Center (YHC), a volunteer organization based in Syria, who infiltrated al-Hawl camp in Syria to rescue some of the estimated 7,000 Yazidi girls and women sex trafficked by Islamic State. Sabaya is the third documentary directed by Hogir Hirori about war and its consequences in northern Iraq.
Newlines Magazine: Satire, Censorship, and Fake News (13 August 2021)
Newlines’ Faisal Al Yafai talks to Isam Uraiqat, the creator of Al Hudood, about censorship and in the fake news era.
Policy Reports
The Atlantic Council: This Organization is Working to Protect Syrian Civilians. Here’s How they Do it (10 August 2021)
Geneva Call, an independent organization in northwest Syria, seeks to reduce crimes committed by armed non-state actors (ANSAs) against civilians by providing trainings and workshops on international humanitarian law. Geneva Call encourages ANSAs to sign a Deed of Commitment to protect children in conflict and to ban sexual violence. In directly engaging with ANSAs, Geneva Call ultimately seeks to expand ANSAs compliance with international humanitarian law and the rules of war.
Chatham House: The Role of Civil Society in Sweida ( 13 August 2021)
Civil society groups in Sweida have played a key role in filling gaps left by the Syrian regime since 2011. Regime constraints, however, hinder their ability to play a direct role in humanitarian efforts and force them to operate in secret.
Arabic Links
حكايةماانحكت: قصةمرسومة: العودةإلىأبيالعلاءالمعرّيفيزمنالطاعون (١٠ آب ٢٠٢١)
حكاية مرسومة قام بتصميمها رامي خوري، محرّر الوسائط المتعددة في الفيديو وتحرير الصور والصوت في موقع حكاية ما انحكت، بناء على حكاية كتبتها نور تركماني، ونُشرت سابقًا تحت عنوان "العودة إلى أبي العلاء المعري في زمن الطاعون".
العربيالجديد: احتجاجاتودعواتللتظاهرفيمناطقالنظامبسببترديالوضعالمعيش (١٣ آب ٢٠٢١)
تعيش مناطق سيطرة النظام السوري، أخيراً، حالة التذمر الشعبي و دعوات للاحتجاج و الاضراب، فيما صدرت مؤشرات ارتباك لدى حكومة النظام الجديدة التي أعلنت إلغاء قرارات خاصة بتوزيع الخبز بعد ساعات فقط من صدورها.
العربيالجديد: آليةتوطينالخبزتثيرأزمةفيإحدىقرىالساحلالسوري (١٣ آب ٢٠٢١)
لم يتمكن أهالي قرية ديرين في محافظة اللاذقية، شمال غربي سورية من الحصول على الخبز يوم أمس، بسبب قرار "توطين الخبز" الصادر عن وزارة التجارة الداخلية وحماية المستهلك في حكومة النظام، ما تسبب بتلف كميات كبيرة من الأرغفة.
الجزيرة: مشروعلتوفيرحياةكريمةلأطفالريفإدلبفيسوريا(١٤ آب ٢٠٢١)
تجولت كاميرا الجزيرة مباشر في مدرسة بريف إدلب في سوريا تقوم على رعاية أيتام مخيمات النازحين.
عنببلدي: انقطاعالكهرباءفيحمصيرفعأسعار "البوظ" (١٥ آب ٢٠٢١)
تدخل محافظة حمص وسط سوريا أزمة هي الأشد في زيادة التقنين الكهربائي، فصار برنامج التقنين في المدينة ست ساعات قطع مقابل ساعة وصل فقط للكهرباء، ما زاد في صعوبة الحياة اليومية للسكان.
الجزيرة: درعاالسورية. . . خارطةحلروسيةتتضمنتهجيررافضيالتسوية (١٥ آب ٢٠٢١)
تتسارع الأحداث في محافظة درعا السورية على وقع الحصار الخانق الذي تشهده المدينة من قبل قوات النظام السوري، حيث أعلن الناطق الرسمي باسم لجنة درعا البلد عدنان المسالمة، أن اجتماعا عُقد، السبت، بين ممثلين عن القوات الروسية والنظام السوري وبين اللجان المركزية في درعا البلد، لبحث مستقبل المدينة.
عنببلدي: إضرابشبهتامفيأحدأحياءحلباحتجاجًاعلىالأوضاعالمعيشية (١٦ آب ٢٠٢١)
شهد حي الصالحية في مدينة حلب إضرابًا شبه تام للفعاليات التجارية، احتجاجًا على تردي الأوضاع المعيشية للسكان، إذ أغلقت معظم محال الحي التجارية أبوابها.
الجزيرة: أزمةكهرباءغيرمسبوقةفيسورياوالنظاميدفعالصناعيينإلىالطاقةالبديلة (١٦ آب ٢٠٢١)
بات الحديث عن انقطاع التيار الكهربائي بمناطق سيطرة النظام السوري الشغل الشاغل للسوريين بعد ازدياد كبير في عدد ساعات تقنين الكهرباء، فيما زاد الترويج لمسألة الطاقة البديلة كحل لأزمة الكهرباء في سوريا.
حكاية ما انحكت: من سوريا العثمانيّة إلى الأرجنتين (١٦ آب ٢٠٢١)
هذا النص جزء من سلسلة "سوريّات صُغرى" في العالم، والتي تحكي عن المجتمعات السوريّة في الشتات. في بيروت، في العام 1913، تسلّل جد خضر خالد الأكبر إلى سفينة متجهة نحو الأرجنتين. السنوات والعقود التي تلت ذلك التاريخ هي تاريخ عائلته، وكذلك جزء من قصة العرب الأرجنتينيين.