Treasure Hunters in a New Syria
Amid hunger and the aftermath of war, Syrians are turning to looting archaeological sites, and it will require time and resources to increase their protection and assess the damage. Yet despite the destruction, people remain deeply attached to their local heritage.
Living in Part-Time Exile on the Niger-Nigeria Border
Violent bandit attacks have rendered Illela, once a thriving rural hub in northwestern Nigeria, a ghost town by night and created a peculiar new kind of refugee in the region: the cross-border commuter. Many residents flee to safety each night across the border to the small Nigerien town of Birni-N'Konni.
On the Front Lines of the M23 Rebellion
Amid the M23 insurgency in eastern Congo, New Lines went into rebel-controlled territory to see the effects of the fighting and heard from militants, displaced families and local leaders about the harsh realities of life in a war zone, the changing political situation and the influence of foreign countries.
An Unwelcome Homecoming
I recently returned to Syria with my family to reconnect with the loved ones I left behind when I moved to Lebanon a few years ago. What began as a peaceful evening in Jaramana, near Damascus, quickly descended into violence.
Syria’s Druze Grapple with Israel and Militancy
After the fall of Assad, Syria’s Druze community is grappling with new anxieties, from Israel’s encroachment to the rise of anti-government militants.