Syria
Damascus on Edge
The bombing of a cafe in Damascus and a second attack during President Emmanuel Macron's visit reveal a new phase in Syria’s transition, as the institutions meant to replace war are targeted with violence.
A Parliament of Networks
The backgrounds of those taking their seats in Syria’s new People's Assembly reveal overlapping networks that emerged from the years of revolution and civil war, and a parliament that is anything but a monolith.
Syria’s Last Silkworm Breeders Hang On by a Thread
From Syria’s coastal region to the souks of Damascus and the mountain village of Deir Mama, New Lines interviewed Syrians engaged in a race against time to preserve their centuries-old tradition of breeding and raising silkworms.
A Leap of Faith: Inside Syria’s First Frog Farm
In the forested plains of Sahl al-Ghab in Hama province, Hassan Duleybi has set up Syria's first frog farm, less than a year after the fall of the Assad regime. Duleybi learned the trade while displaced in Turkey and returned home to find an abundant wild frog population he believes could anchor a new export industry.
How Supporting Mental Health Will Help Secure Syria’s Future
As Syria emerges from prolonged conflict, its people have substantial and complex mental health needs. Building mental health services accessible to all Syrians — including former detainees, families of the missing, children, displaced people and those with addiction — will enable safety and dignity to take root.
The Last Traces of a Family the Assad Regime Marked for Destruction
Syria's National Commission for the Missing has concluded that the six al-Abbasi children, disappeared with their mother in 2013, are dead. With no remains recovered, the finding rests on footage tied to the Tadamon massacre, shedding light on how the Assad regime turned detainees’ children into enemies of the state.
How Halfaya and Idlib Replaced Qardaha at the Heart of Syrian Power
A year on from Assad's fall, the areas that formed the backbone of the armed revolution, above all Halfaya and rural Idlib, have become the primary recruiting ground for Syria's new ruling elite.