Exploring violations of human rights and international law in Syria. https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/human-rights/rss en Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights ISIS Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Tue, 01 May 2018 09:10:00 +0000 Youmna al-Dimashqi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/05/01/the-civilian-cost-of-syrias-new-battle-against-isis https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/05/01/the-civilian-cost-of-syrias-new-battle-against-isis Civilians residing in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus are caught in fierce fighting between government forces and ISIS militants, while being deprived of healthcare, food and medical supplies. Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Fri, 13 Apr 2018 14:10:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi, Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/13/what-we-know-about-the-suspected-chemical-weapon-attack-in-east-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/13/what-we-know-about-the-suspected-chemical-weapon-attack-in-east-ghouta Syria Deeply answers some of the big questions surrounding the suspected poison gas attack in Douma last week, and the wider issue of chemical weapon use in Syria. Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Fri, 23 Mar 2018 12:20:00 +0000 Youmna al-Dimashqi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/23/we-are-waiting-for-death-voices-from-ghoutas-underground-bunker https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/23/we-are-waiting-for-death-voices-from-ghoutas-underground-bunker Tens of thousands of people have fled the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus in recent weeks. Many of the hundreds of thousands who remain, however, are hiding in underground shelters, with little access to food, water and sunlight. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:00:00 +0000 Mohammed Alaa Ghanem https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/22/when-cease-fires-become-part-of-military-strategies-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/22/when-cease-fires-become-part-of-military-strategies-in-syria Instead of trumpeting each new cease-fire as a step toward peace, the international community needs to understand how integral they are to the Syrian regime’s military strategy, writes Syrian academic Mohammed Alaa Ghanem. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:40:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi, Hashem Osseiran, Kim Bode https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/21/expert-views-how-seven-years-of-war-in-syria-changed-modern-conflict https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/21/expert-views-how-seven-years-of-war-in-syria-changed-modern-conflict As the war in Syria marked its seventh anniversary this month, Syria Deeply’s expert community weighed in on what the conflict can teach us about 21st-century wars. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Solutions Fri, 16 Mar 2018 09:10:00 +0000 Peter Ford https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/16/analysis-what-ghouta-tells-us-about-the-worlds-ability-to-protect-civilians https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/16/analysis-what-ghouta-tells-us-about-the-worlds-ability-to-protect-civilians Not long ago the humanitarian concept of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ had currency. But this is no longer the case in Syria, where a new harsh reality is playing out in eastern Ghouta, writes journalist Peter Ford. Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:30:00 +0000 Laurie Lee https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/15/what-are-you-doing-while-ghouta-burns https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/15/what-are-you-doing-while-ghouta-burns Seven years of war in Syria have taught us that the international community no longer has any shame. But the upcoming Syria meeting in Brussels presents four opportunities to change that, writes Laurie Lee, CEO of CARE International UK. Displacement Human Rights Thu, 15 Mar 2018 11:10:00 +0000 Alex Silberman, Paul Clewett https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/15/how-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-define-safe-returns https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/15/how-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-define-safe-returns As host countries increasingly discuss the future of refugees and the possibility of returns, a new study from global social enterprise Seefar found that Syrians in Turkey share vastly different perspectives on the necessary conditions for return. Health Human Rights War Economy Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:00:00 +0000 DR. Ahmad Tarakji https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/12/after-massacre-in-ghouta-aleppo-e-u-states-must-not-fund-reconstruction https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/12/after-massacre-in-ghouta-aleppo-e-u-states-must-not-fund-reconstruction E.U. states must take action over putting an end to violence against civilians in East Ghouta by holding the perpetrators accountable and refusing to fund reconstruction efforts until the attacks stop, says SAMS president Dr. Ahmad Tarakji. Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:10:00 +0000 Lina Khatib https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/08/beyond-the-endgame-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/08/beyond-the-endgame-in-eastern-ghouta The government’s endgame in Eastern Ghouta is to overtake the last opposition holdout near the capital. But the bloody strategy Damascus is using to get there is just as important, writes Lina Khatib of Chatham House. Civil Society Health Human Rights Thu, 01 Mar 2018 12:10:00 +0000 Kim Bode, Alessandria Masi, Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/01/deeply-talks-the-humanitarian-catastrophe-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/01/deeply-talks-the-humanitarian-catastrophe-in-eastern-ghouta In the latest installment of our Deeply Talks, Dr. Annie Sparrow, assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Dr. Mohamad Katoub, advocacy manager for the Syrian American Medical Society, discuss the deteriorating healthcare situation in Eastern Ghouta. Displacement Human Rights Thu, 01 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/01/for-syrians-in-lebanon-no-formal-plan-for-return https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/01/for-syrians-in-lebanon-no-formal-plan-for-return The Lebanese government risks losing international support should it develop a formal repatriation plan for Syrian refugees. This has raised concerns that non-state actors will spearhead repatriation efforts, says Dima Mahdi of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Displacement Health Human Rights Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:50:00 +0000 Abdulkarim Ekzayez https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/26/attacks-on-healthcare-look-like-a-strategy-for-forced-displacement https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/26/attacks-on-healthcare-look-like-a-strategy-for-forced-displacement There is reason to suspect health facilities are being deliberately targeted in eastern Ghouta in a bid to weaken the resilience of the community and make it more amenable to evacuation, writes Syrian doctor and fellow at Chatham House, Abdulkarim Ekzayez. Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Fri, 23 Feb 2018 15:30:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran, Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/23/syrian-conflicts-deadly-week-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/23/syrian-conflicts-deadly-week-in-eastern-ghouta A look at the major developments of one of the deadliest weeks in the besieged Damascus suburbs of Eastern Ghouta. Health Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Thu, 22 Feb 2018 11:40:00 +0000 Areeb Ullah https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/22/braving-bombs-health-workers-struggle-to-save-lives-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/22/braving-bombs-health-workers-struggle-to-save-lives-in-eastern-ghouta The Syrian government has targeted a number of hospitals and medical clinics in East Ghouta recently, complicating attempts to provide life-saving care to the nearly 400,000 people trapped under bombardment, writes journalist Areeb Ullah. Displacement Human Rights Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:58:00 +0000 Ahmad Zaazaa https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/20/i-was-something-she-bought-syrian-men-marry-to-survive https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/20/i-was-something-she-bought-syrian-men-marry-to-survive Although much has been written about Syrian refugee women in Turkey being sold into marriage, little is known of the Syrian men selling themselves in wedlock. Two such refugees share their stories to shed light on what they say is a growing trend. Health Human Rights Wed, 31 Jan 2018 08:10:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/31/no-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-in-eastern-ghouta-sparrow https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/31/no-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-in-eastern-ghouta-sparrow Amid unprecedented pressures on healthcare facilities in Eastern Ghouta, and the repeated failure to deliver life-saving aid, time is running out to improve the humanitarian situation and mitigate misery in the Damascus suburb, says medical researcher Dr. Annie Sparrow. Civil Society Human Rights Fri, 26 Jan 2018 09:20:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/26/syrian-conflict-isnt-over-dont-forget-the-syrians-davos-voices https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/26/syrian-conflict-isnt-over-dont-forget-the-syrians-davos-voices Syria experts at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos weigh in on what must be done to improve the humanitarian situation and alleviate the impact of war in Syria. Displacement Human Rights Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:20:00 +0000 Hind Kabawat https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/22/idlib-women-in-jeopardy-what-comes-next https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/22/idlib-women-in-jeopardy-what-comes-next Attorney and Tanenbaum peacemaker Hind Kabawat writes about the deteriorating humanitarian situation for women in and around Idlib, where she cofounded the Jarjanaz and Darraya Women’s Peace Centre with the E.U. last year. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Thu, 18 Jan 2018 09:00:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/18/syria-2018-the-major-issues-for-the-year-ahead https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/18/syria-2018-the-major-issues-for-the-year-ahead This year, Syria Deeply will be keeping a close eye on the various wars being waged in Syria and the scale of foreign involvement in each, as well as war crimes and accountability, returns and displacement, and reconstruction and reconciliation across the country. Human Rights Fri, 12 Jan 2018 10:00:00 +0000 Samer Bouidani, Luna Safwan https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/12/life-under-siege-how-people-struggle-to-survive-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/12/life-under-siege-how-people-struggle-to-survive-in-eastern-ghouta With limited access to food, medicine and fuel, the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the eastern suburbs of Damascus have developed a wide range of strategies to get through the government’s tightening siege. Human Rights Thu, 11 Jan 2018 10:10:00 +0000 DR. Ahmad Tarakji https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/11/critical-patients-in-eastern-ghouta-used-as-bargaining-chips-sams https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/11/critical-patients-in-eastern-ghouta-used-as-bargaining-chips-sams The Syrian government recently allowed only 29 of 600 critically ill patients in Eastern Ghouta to be evacuated in a prisoner exchange. It’s the latest example of the regime using a humanitarian situation as a bargaining chip, writes SAMS president Dr. Ahmad Tarakji. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights ISIS War Economy Tue, 02 Jan 2018 07:24:55 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/02/must-read-coverage-on-syria-from-2017 https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/02/must-read-coverage-on-syria-from-2017 We’ve compiled our best coverage of the biggest issues in Syria this year – from safe zones and increasing foreign involvement to new avenues for pursuing justice, and the impact of Syria’s war economy. Displacement Human Rights Wed, 27 Dec 2017 12:00:00 +0000 Aron Lund https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/27/a-timeline-of-the-tightening-siege-in-eastern-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/27/a-timeline-of-the-tightening-siege-in-eastern-ghouta Despite the de-escalation deal, a ban on humanitarian aid in Eastern Ghouta, where 94 percent of besieged civilians in Syria reside, has created a man-made disaster, writes Syria expert Aron Lund. Human Rights Wed, 20 Dec 2017 11:55:33 +0000 Lizzie Porter https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/20/a-bureaucracy-of-violence-in-syrias-military-intelligence-run-prisons https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/20/a-bureaucracy-of-violence-in-syrias-military-intelligence-run-prisons Syrian military intelligence-run detention centers are responsible for some of the worst crimes committed by the security apparatus. Their highly bureaucratic operations, however, have helped build bodies of evidence against high-level officials. Human Rights ISIS Mon, 11 Dec 2017 13:40:10 +0000 Haid Haid https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/11/after-the-caliphate-questions-loom-over-fate-of-isis-captives https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/11/after-the-caliphate-questions-loom-over-fate-of-isis-captives The so-called Islamic State has been driven from most of its territory in Syria, but the fate of the thousands of civilians captured by extremists remains largely unknown, writes Chatham House fellow Haid Haid, whose cousin was kidnapped by ISIS. Human Rights Mon, 04 Dec 2017 07:45:55 +0000 Ahmad Zaazaa https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/04/escaping-europe-why-some-syrian-refugees-have-chosen-to-leave https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/12/04/escaping-europe-why-some-syrian-refugees-have-chosen-to-leave The route from Turkey to Greece was once crowded with Syrian asylum seekers fleeing to Europe. But in recent months some refugees have begun to move in the opposite direction because of what they describe as a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in host countries. Human Rights Tue, 21 Nov 2017 13:41:46 +0000 News Deeply Contributor https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/11/21/children-will-continue-to-die-of-starvation-in-besieged-east-ghouta https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/11/21/children-will-continue-to-die-of-starvation-in-besieged-east-ghouta A Physicians for Human Rights professional speaks to doctors and medical professionals in the Eastern Ghouta district outside Damascus about the devastating impact of the intentional use of siege and the lack of medical and food supplies in aid convoys. Human Rights Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:13:33 +0000 Rogelio Pfirter https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/11/06/chemical-weapons-investigations-in-syria-must-continue https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/11/06/chemical-weapons-investigations-in-syria-must-continue The U.N. Security Council’s failure to renew the inquiry into chemical weapons in Syria unjustly questions investigators’ important work, according to Rogelio Pfirter, former director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Civil Society Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:29:48 +0000 Yasser Allawi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/10/27/inside-rukban-camp-one-of-syrias-most-desperate-settlements https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/10/27/inside-rukban-camp-one-of-syrias-most-desperate-settlements The situation in the Rukban camp for internally displaced persons near the border with Jordan is rapidly deteriorating. International humanitarian groups are close to being overwhelmed, despite local NGOs and rebel groups trying to help out as well.