[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-Jazeera: Sarmada: the town in Syria’s Idlib province transformed by war (2 December 2021)
Sarmada, an opposition town close to Syria’s border with Turkey, currently hosts thousands of displaced people who have little hope of returning to their homes.
Al-Monitor: HTS Subsidizes Bread in Idlib as Part of Attempt to Govern (1 December 2021)
In light of the skyrocketing price of bread following the depreciation of the Turkish Lira, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced that it will provide $3 million to subsidize bread.
Al-Monitor: Unprecedented COVID Spread Plagues Health Sector in Syria’s Daraa (30 November 2021)
In Daraa, the number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 52,000 between the start of October and 17 November, signifying a grave public health threat at a time when the province’s health sector is collapsing.
The New Humanitarian: Warnings of Worrying Rise in Northwest Syria Suicide Rate Among Women (29 November 2021)
Humanitarian workers highlight a rise in depression and suicide among girls and women in northwest Syria, especially among the displaced, emphasizing the need to enhance mental health services in the region.
Al-Monitor: Idlib’s Children Become Breadwinners Amidst Rising Poverty (28 November 2021)
Children in displacement camps in opposition areas in northwest Syria are increasingly leaving school to work low-paid yet difficult jobs due to deteriorating economic conditions.
Al-Jazeera: Turkish Lira Crisis Hits Idlib in Syria (27 November 2021)
Following the crash of the Turkish Lira to a record low, Idlib is witnessing a further deterioration of economic conditions.
Al-Monitor: US Amends Sanctions Regulations to Ease Aid Delivery in Syria (25 November 2021)
The United States (US) Treasury Department announced new authorizations that allow nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Syria to take part in otherwise prohibited activities, including engaging in new investment, purchasing Syrian petroleum products, and conducting certain transactions with the Syrian government. The incentive behind the new authorizations is to expand humanitarian access throughout Syria.
Al-Monitor: Drought Parches Idlib Governorate (23 November 2021)
Groundwater levels are dropping in northwest Syria, jeopardizing the region’s source of drinking water and irrigation.
Syria Untold: In Assad’s Syria, School is Prison (18 November 2021)
Dellair Youssef discusses public schools in Syria which he says are intentionally made prison-like as part of a state effort to turn children into the next generation of the Ba’athist state.
Al-Monitor: Expensive Private Schools Become Many Syrian Students’ Only Option (15 November 2021)
Public schools in northwest Syria are struggling to accommodate for a growing number of students, leading many to seek education in private schools.
Al-Monitor: Camels Weep as their Young Perish in Syria’s Killer Drought (12 November 2021)
Camels in northeast Syria are hard hit by the worst drought Syria has experienced in 70 years. Reliant on more vegetation and food than goats and other animals, camels are an early warning sign that indicate the severity of the drought.
Reports and Documentaries
Human Rights Watch (HRW): Lebanon: Syrian Refugee Children are being Blocked from School (3 December 2021)
A new HRW report calls upon Lebanon’s Education Ministry to extend the 4 December 2021 school registration deadline for Syrian children and put an end to discriminatory policies that prevent Syrian children from accessing education. Currently, prohibitive policies that require certified education records, legal residency in Lebanon, among other official documentations, prevent thousands of Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon from getting an education.
Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC): A Toxic-Legacy- Chemical Weapons and Birth Defects in Syria (2 December 2021)
Chemical weapon attacks carried out by the Assad regime have led to increased birth defects, highlighting the long-term legacy of chemical warfare.
Amnesty International: Syria: Repatriate at Least 27,000 Children Held in Dire Conditions in North-east Syria (30 November 2021)
Amnesty International calls on governments to repatriate tens of thousands of children who have been living in al-Hol camp where they lack sufficient access to food, clean water, and essential services like healthcare and education.
United Nations (UN): Joint Statement on 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (25 November 2021)
The UN launched the start of 16 days of activism against Gender-Based-Violence (GBV) with a statement indicating how the war, COVID-19 lockdowns, and economic deterioration has resulted in increased incidents of physical, psychological, and sexual violence against women and girls.
Al-Jazeera: Assad: master of chaos (22 November 2021)
A new Al-Jazeera documentary explores the key diplomatic and political movements that shaped the alliances and power agendas during the war.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Syria: Dar’a Governorate Situation Report No. 03 (9 November 2021)
Key developments in Dar’a Governorate as of 9 November 2021 include: the return of the 38,000 people displaced since the 6 September ceasefire, the inability of 3,700 people to return due to damage to their homes and explosive hazards, 1,198 residential buildings in Dar’a al- Balad identified as damaged or destroyed, and a continued need for increased funding to support humanitarian efforts.
OCHA: Developments in north-west Syria and Ras Al Ain- Tell Abiad Situation Report no. 31 (November 2021)
Key developments in northwest Syria and Ras al-Ain in October 2021 include: A total of 14,969 new COVID-19 cases in October while 96 percent of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds remained occupied, one third of total households lack access to fuel, people with disabilities face challenges accessing sanitation, livelihoods, and educational resources, and the shelling of civilian areas continues to take lives.
SJAC: SJAC Again Cals on ICC Prosecutor to Investigate Crimes Against Humanity Committed by Greece Against Refugees (22 November 2021)
SJAC urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to open an investigation into Greek authorities’ systemic attack on bona fide refugees occurring along the Greek-Turkish border.
Regional and International Perspective
L’Orient Today: Stuck in Belarus: Blocked from Entering the EU or Returning to Lebanon, Refugees Fear Deportation to Syria (1 December 2021)
Syrian refugees who flew from Beirut to Minsk are under the risk of being deported to Syria, as their passports are stamped with a re-entry ban to Lebanon and the tourist visas granted by Belarus are now expired.
DW News: Is Jordan Doing Syrian Dictator’s Dirty Work? (30 December 2021)
After the arrest of a Syrian journalist in Jordan, media freedom activists speculate if Syria asked Jordan to help silence opposition voices.
The New Arab: Why the EU’s Consensus on Syria Could be Slowly Unraveling (30 November 2021)
Consensus against the Damascus regime among European Union member (EU) states is starting to erode due to revived fears of a migrant surge in Europe.
The New Arab: The Arab League Looking to re-Integrate Syria (30 November 2021)
After over a decade of boycott, the Arab League has reportedly held closed door conversations about re-integrating Syria into the Arab fold.
Al-Jazeera: Pentagon to Review Deadly 2019 Bombings in Syria (29 November 2021)
Following a New York Times report on US military bombings in Syria in March 2019 that killed dozens of civilians, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered a review of the bombings.
Al-Jazeera: Turkey Detains Syrian Singer Omar Souleyman on ‘Terror’ Charges (18 November 2021)
Turkish authorities detained Syrian musician Omar Souleyman for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militia.
Al-Jazeera: With Dozens in Limbo, Denmark Pressured to Reverse Refugee Policy (16 November 2021)
Human rights groups are increasing pressure on Denmark to reinstate protections for refugees who face persecution upon their return to Syria.
New York Times: How the US Hid an Airstrike that Killed Dozens of Civilians in Syria (13 November 2021)
A New York Times report indicates that the US military failed to conduct an independent investigation into a 2019 bombing on an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) stronghold in Baghuz that led to the death of dozens of civilians. The strike on Baghuz ultimately contradicts claims that the air war against ISIS was one of the most precise and humane bombing campaigns in US history.
Arabic Links
العربي الجديد: تصعيد إدلب يسبق أستانة (٣ ديسمبر ٢٠٢١)
"قصفت قوات النظام السوري مجدداً أمس الخميس، بلدات عدة في عمق محافظة إدلب شمال غربي سورية، في سياق استراتيجية متعمدة غايتها إبقاء المناطق الخارجة عن سيطرتها تحت وطأة الاستهداف اليومي والضغط، خصوصاً قبيل جولات مسار أستانة التفاوضي، إذ من المقرر التئام اجتماع جديد لهذا المسار خلال شهر ديسمبر/كانون الأول الحالي."
عنب بلدي: فرنسا تُعيّن بريجيت كورمي سفيرة لها من أجل سوريا (٢ ديسمبر ٢٠٢١)
"أصدر الرئيس الفرنسي، إيمانويل ماكرون، مرسومًا رئاسيًا يقضي بتعيين مستشارة الشؤون الخارجية الفرنسية، بريجيت كورمي، سفيرة من أجل سوريا."
العربي الجديد: العواصف تلحق أضراراً بالغة بمخيمات النازحين شماليّ سورية (٢ ديسمبر ٢٠٢١)
"تعرّضت العديد من المخيمات شماليّ سورية، لأضرار بالغة جرّاء العاصفة الهوائية التي ضربت المنطقة، أمس الأربعاء، في سيناريو يتكرر كل مرة وتخسر فيه عوائل نازحة المأوى، وتوجّه فيه مناشدات للجهات الإنسانية المحلية والدولية للمساعدة في إيجاد حلول جذرية لمواجهة الكوارث الطبيعية."
العربي الجديد: النظام السوري يعيّن غيث ديب المشمول بعقوبات الاتحاد الأوروبي رئيساً للأمن السياسي (٢ ديسمبر ٢٠٢١)
"عيّن النظام السوري اللواء غيث ديب رئيساً لـ"شعبة الأمن السياسي"، أحد أبرز الفروع الأمنية، التابع شكلياً لوزارة الداخلية لدى النظام، تحت مسمى شعبة الأمن السياسي."
عنب بلدي: معلمو ريف حلب يستمرون بإضرابهم الجزئي (٢ ديسمبر ٢٠٢١)
"أعلن المعلمون في ريف حلب الشمالي والشرقي استمرار إضرابهم الجزئي عن العمل وتعليق عملهم يومي الأربعاء والخميس 1 و2 من شهر كانون الأول الحالي."
حكاية ما انحكت: الحنين إلى حلب (١٦ نوفمبر ٢٠٢١)
"فجأة تحولت حلب إلى برشلونة وأصبحت برشلونة حلب، وأصبح كلّ ما يتعلق بالانتماء ملتبسًا، هذا ما يقوله الفنان البصري غياث طه في هذا النص الذي يحاول التطرق إلى مفاهيم الانتماء والهويّة والثورة التي ولدت في ذهنه وهو يقرأ جورج أورويل الذي كتب عن كاتالونيا وكأنّه يكتب عن حلب، ما دفعه لخلقمزيج بين صوره ونصوص أورويل في تقنيّة/ لعبة تعبر بنا من الحاضر نحو الماضي ثم تعود بنا إلى حلب."
المركز السوري للعدالة والمساءلة: إنشاء برنامج أمريكي للتعويضات في شامل شرق سوريا (نوفمبر ٢٠٢١)
"بالرغم من اتخاذ القوات الأمريكية تدابير من شأنها حقن دماء المدنيين أثناء العملية المشتركة لدحر تنظيم داعش في سوريا، إلا أنها تقر بمسؤولية الولايات المتحدة عن فقدان الأرواح والإصابات في صفوف المدنيين، بالإضافة إلى تدمير الممتلكات."