Shirin Jaafari

Reporter

The World

Shirin Jaafari is a reporter for The World focusing on the Middle East. She has covered conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. Her reporting focuses on current events, politics, conflict and human rights. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Harvard’s Extension School. Before joining The World, Shirin worked for the BBC in Washington, DC. Shirin was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2009 and she received an honorable mention from the Gracie Award in 2022 for her coverage of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.When not filing for radio, she can be found hiking and camping in the mountains.You can find her on Twitter @Shirinj.

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
A 9th-century recipe from a 10th-century cookbook from Baghdad, updated for the modern diner by renowned chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Najmieh Batmanglij.

‘Dining with the Sultan’: A unique exhibit explores the fine art of feasting in historic Islamic lands

‘Dining with the Sultan’: A unique exhibit explores the fine art of feasting in historic Islamic lands
Relatives attend the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit a church, in Gaza City, Oct. 20, 2023.

Christians in Gaza fear for their tiny community amid strikes on churches

Christians in Gaza fear for their tiny community amid strikes on churches
tribal leader

As Israel-Hamas war continues, there are signs of growing sympathy for Hamas in neighboring Jordan 

As Israel-Hamas war continues, there are signs of growing sympathy for Hamas in neighboring Jordan 
Men sit at a cafe at the Baqa'a refugee camp, north of the capital Amman, Dec. 12, 2023.

Stateless Palestinians in Jordan struggle to make a future

Stateless Palestinians in Jordan struggle to make a future
ruins

'We saw an immediate drop': Jordan's tourism industry is suffering amid the Israel-Hamas war

Jordan's economy relies heavily on tourism but since Hamas' attack on Israel in October and the ongoing war in Gaza, tourism in the country has slowed down. This is also the case in other countries in the region, including Israel itself, Lebanon and Egypt.

'We saw an immediate drop': Jordan's tourism industry is suffering amid the Israel-Hamas war
The warning labels are found on a number of Israeli, American and European products.

Jordanians boycott American companies seen as pro-Israeli

As Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza continues, a boycott campaign is growing in the Middle East and beyond. In Jordan, many have stopped buying American and European products that they say support Israel financially or have a pro-Israel stance. Starbucks and McDonald’s in Amman sit mostly empty. In supermarkets, everyday items carry warnings.

Jordanians boycott American companies seen as pro-Israeli
Jordanians in Amman, the capital, protest against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

‘We have cried tears of blood’: Jordanians protest Israel-Hamas war amid security, humanitarian concerns

After Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994, there’s been a fragile but sustained calm in this region. But following the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, and an increase in settler violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank, relations between Jordan and Israel have soured. 

‘We have cried tears of blood’: Jordanians protest Israel-Hamas war amid security, humanitarian concerns
Children stand in a line waiting for food portions

Addressing the physical and mental health needs of children in Israel and Gaza

The Israel-Hamas war has taken the lives of thousands of children and is impacting the mental health of many more. The World's Shirin Jaafari sat down with Save the Children's CEO, Janti Soeripto, to learn more about how they are working to address children's needs in Gaza and Israel.

Addressing the physical and mental health needs of children in Israel and Gaza
Women providing services within a beauty salon

'We are dead inside:’ Women in Afghanistan protest Taliban ban of beauty salons

The ban will come into effect in five days, leaving roughly 60,000 women out of work.

'We are dead inside:’ Women in Afghanistan protest Taliban ban of beauty salons
woman facing camera

A traditional Iranian sport has been closed off to women. One activist wants to change that.

Varzeshe Pahlavani is a mix of martial arts, wrestling and calisthenics. It has deep roots in Persian tradition going back centuries. The sport is officially closed off to women, but one female Iranian activist is trying to change that.

A traditional Iranian sport has been closed off to women. One activist wants to change that.
people with boat

Parts of Iraq are drying up, impacting already vulnerable communities

​​​​​​​Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources has warned that the country is facing its worst water shortage in a century. It said 7 million people are experiencing reduced access to water. Shrinking water levels, rampant salinity and contamination have left communities with no choice but to migrate.

Parts of Iraq are drying up, impacting already vulnerable communities
wall with women's faces marked out

Women in Afghanistan are devastated by the Taliban’s ban on beauty salons

The Taliban have given all women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan one month to close down. The ultraconservative group, which took power by force in 2021, has consistently chipped away at women’s rights and freedoms in the country. 

Women in Afghanistan are devastated by the Taliban’s ban on beauty salons
museum reopening

Beirut museum damaged by blast reopens

In 2020, a deadly blast at Beirut port destroyed the much-beloved Sursock Museum. Parts of the 20th-century building’s architecture, reflecting both Venetian and Ottoman stylistic elements, were damaged, along with 57 works of art. Now, almost three years later, the museum has reopened.

Beirut museum damaged by blast reopens
Ayyad Mohmmed Ali works on his farm where he grows date palm trees and vegetables, Iraq.

This startup is fighting to keep Iraq’s palm trees alive

Decades of war, mismanagement and the impact of climate change have taken a toll on Iraq’s iconic palm trees. One group is trying to help change that.

This startup is fighting to keep Iraq’s palm trees alive