Syria

woman in market

Residents in northeastern Syria react to recent attacks on US bases

About 900 American forces stationed in Northeast Syria have been attacked by militia forces in neighboring Iraq. The Americans act as a deterrence against ISIS and Turkey, both of which consider the Kurds in northeast Syria as their enemy. The residents in this area are on edge about the recent militia attacks and the possibility of a US withdrawal.

Residents in northeastern Syria react to recent attacks on US bases
collapsed building

Parents seek justice for children crushed in collapsed hotel during Turkish earthquake

Parents seek justice for children crushed in collapsed hotel during Turkish earthquake
shepherd with sheep amid rubble

A year on, a Kurdish village near Turkey’s earthquake epicenter says it's been overlooked

A year on, a Kurdish village near Turkey’s earthquake epicenter says it's been overlooked
A portrait of the owner of private military company Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin lays at an informal memorial next to the former 'PMC Wagner Centre' in St. Petersburg, Russia, Aug. 24, 2023.

Reported death of Wagner Group leader 'strengthens Putin's hold on power,' analyst says

Reported death of Wagner Group leader 'strengthens Putin's hold on power,' analyst says
Antakya’s Uzun Çarşı, a historic covered bazaar, was partially destroyed during the Feb. 6 earthquakes. Workers have cleared much of the debris from walkways and shopkeepers have reopened, sometimes directly across from piles of rubble.

In Turkey’s hardest-hit province, earthquake survivors adapt to a life without buildings

In Turkey’s hardest-hit province, earthquake survivors adapt to a life without buildings
Syrian soldiers

‘I wished to die’: Syrian American sues Syria’s government over alleged torture

​​​​​​​A Syrian American man has filed a civil lawsuit in the US against the government of Syria for allegedly detaining and torturing him in 2012. Obada Mzaik was 22 years old when he was arrested at the Damascus airport.

‘I wished to die’: Syrian American sues Syria’s government over alleged torture
building that was destroyed

Life returns to Antakya, a city nearly leveled by earthquakes in southern Turkey

​​​​​​​Two months after devastating earthquakes killed more than 57,000 people in Turkey and Syria, survivors are living in tent camps and shipping containers outside the ruins of their former homes. As mobile businesses and streetside kebab shops return to the city of Antakya, some people are determined to stay in their hometown to grieve and rebuild. 

Life returns to Antakya, a city nearly leveled by earthquakes in southern Turkey
A lab worker removes crane hoist from a load of rebar used to construct full-scale buildings and bridge spans that are then pushed to the limit in field tests.

This ‘earthquake lab’ is designing buildings to withstand natural disasters

At Spain’s Institute of Science and Concrete Technology, engineers are trying to find ways to keep buildings and bridges from falling down. The lab is getting attention after the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in February.

This ‘earthquake lab’ is designing buildings to withstand natural disasters
People who lost their houses in the devastating earthquake, lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp, in Iskenderun city, southern Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

'Assad can't clean up his act with a natural disaster,' US Amb. to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says

After a catastrophic earthquake destroyed northwest Syria, assistance is slowly trickling in. It took a full week for the UN to strike a deal with the Syrian regime to open two additional crossings into the region. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield talks with host Marco Werman about the situation.

'Assad can't clean up his act with a natural disaster,' US Amb. to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says
eathquake damage

Getting earthquake aid in Syria depends on where survivors live

More than a week after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Syria, outside help has been slow to arrive. Parts of the country that have been impacted fall into two main categories: ones that are under government control and those that are not. In opposition-held areas relief has been almost nonexistent.

Getting earthquake aid in Syria depends on where survivors live
Zehra Kurukafa walks past a destroyed house in the village of Polat, Turkey, Feb. 12, 2023.

Turkey earthquake survivors face despair, as rescues wane

While stories of near-miraculous rescues have flooded the airwaves in recent days, tens of thousands of dead have also been found during the same period.

Turkey earthquake survivors face despair, as rescues wane
buildings collapsed in rubble

The geology behind the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

This corner of the globe sits at the intersection of three tectonic plates, including the Arabian Plate that’s moving northward into Europe. Pressure along the fault has been building, and when it finally released, it appears that an area nearly 120 miles long and 15 miles wide got displaced, unleashing the earthquake. 

The geology behind the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Firefighters and rescue teams search for people in a destroyed building, in Adana, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes

The earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria on Monday have killed over 12,000 people, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue crews race against time to save people trapped beneath rubble.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes
people search through rubble

‘There were screams everywhere’: Residents of northwest Syria grapple with quake aftermath

​​​​​​​Entire neighborhoods have been leveled in northwestern Syria, where an earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning. This region of Syria is home to millions of people displaced by years of civil war. Even before the quake, they had been living in already dire conditions.

‘There were screams everywhere’: Residents of northwest Syria grapple with quake aftermath
Men remove debris as they search for people in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023.

After deadly quake in Turkey, rescue teams struggle to help amid frigid temps

The death toll has surpassed 5,000, with thousands of others injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. Rescue teams are trying to find people buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

After deadly quake in Turkey, rescue teams struggle to help amid frigid temps