Executive Summary Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been ousted following opposition armed forces’ entry into the city of Damascus. The former President’s authoritarian system of governance and violent suppression of anti-government demonstrations during the Arab Spring are recognised as having…
Executive Summary Resilience, social cohesion and wellbeing are interrelated indicators of a community’s overall ability to function and sustainably meet the needs of its members. A resilient community can withstand shocks; a socially cohesive community is inclusive and safeguards diversity;…
Syria Update Digest Last week, the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) published its annual procurement report for 2021, covering UN contracts globally, including in Syria. As in the past, the data itself offers few surprises, if any. Inevitably, among the contracted…
Syria Update Digest On 8 July, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Aleppo City for the first time since 2011, touring Aleppo Thermal Power Station, inaugurating the Tal Hasel water pumping plant in rural Aleppo, and performing Eid al-Adha prayers at…
Syria Update Digest Several events in recent weeks have highlighted a growing water crisis across the whole of Syria, with access to both drinking water and water for irrigation severely curtailed. Syria is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate…
Syria Update Digest On 15-16 June, the 18th round of the ‘Astana’ talks took place in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, with delegations from the three so-called guarantor states, Russia, Turkey, and Iran; the Government of Syria; and the opposition. The talks yielded…
Syria Update Digest More than 11 years after the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, the refugee crisis it engendered continues to raise challenges for the EU and countries at its borders. From growing hostility towards refugees in neighbouring states…
Syria Update Digest On 31 May, local and media sources in southern Syria reported the killing of five individuals and an additional attempted assassination in Dar’a Governorate over a two-day period. While violence has plagued the region since its recapture…
Syria Update Digest On 23 May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his country would soon launch a new military operation into northern Syria to combat “the terrorism threat” along Turkey’s southern borders. The operation will resume Turkey’s effort…
Syria Update Digest On 16 May, the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two deadly bombings in the Deir Khabiyeh area of the Al-Kiswah countryside, south of Damascus. With IS long relegated to obscure desert outposts and hideaways in the…