Taboo
The regime knew what it was doing when it added sexual violence to its arsenal of weapons. It was...
A Bitter Life
My first marriage was one of poverty, deprivation and injustice. Since childhood, life had not been fair to me....
Al Sayada
Cheap and practical bed for the displaced families who are living in despair situation northern #Syria. What kind of...
Leila Returns to School
When Leila arrived in Lebanon in early 2017, her family settled in a rural area of Beqaa that was...
An Unfriendly Welcome
When my husband returned from more than two weeks of military service in the Afrin countryside, he was exhausted....
A Story of Loss
Marwa’s nightmare began when Islamic State (IS) took over her hometown. This marked the beginning of her and her...
Achieving My Dream of Learning English
I tried for a long time to persuade my parents to let me study English. But the community in...
No Dream Impossible in Idlib
Children in the village of Termanin in the northern Idlib Rif took part in an activity designed to encourage...
Photo blog
Women's Blog
Taboo
The regime knew what it was doing when it added sexual violence to its arsenal of weapons. It was the International Fair in Damascus and there were stalls from...
An Unfriendly Welcome
When my husband returned from more than two weeks of military service in the Afrin countryside, he was exhausted. He didn’t even notice me or the children. He just...
Achieving My Dream of Learning English
I tried for a long time to persuade my parents to let me study English. But the community in which I lived still clung to conservative ideals. It was...
A Bitter Life
My first marriage was one of poverty, deprivation and injustice. Since childhood, life had not been fair to me. Had I been given the opportunity to complete my studies,...
Leila Returns to School
When Leila arrived in Lebanon in early 2017, her family settled in a rural area of Beqaa that was similar to their hometown in Syria. The family rented a...
Civil Society Monitor
IS Redeploys in Deir ez-Zor?
Reports from Deir-ez-Zor appear to indicate that the Islamic State (IS) may be attempting to recoup its fortunes in the area. IS had been beaten back by both regime...
Idlib Hospitals on the Brink of Collapse
Souad al-Masri had just left the national hospital in Maarat an-Numan where her 13-year-old son Mounir was receiving treatment, when the building was hit by an airstrike. “When I...
A Better Shelter for the Displaced
A project in western Aleppo Rif has helped accommodate hundreds of families displaced from the north and south of the area. The Shelter project has been particularly important at...
What if Idlib falls?
A few kilometers away from the frontline battle in South Eastern Rif Idlib, entire areas are lost as Baath party forces and their allies advance. Villages and towns fall...
Syria: Kafr Nabel Clinic Provides Vital Vaccinations
Rawan al-Junaid, 24, says that she no longer feels she has to worry so much about her baby Amjad’s health. The one-year-old boy has now had all his immunisations...
Daily Life
No Dream Impossible in Idlib
Children in the village of Termanin in the northern Idlib Rif took part in an activity designed to encourage them to pursue their dreams despite the conditions imposed by...
Idlib’s Child Protection Network
Bilal, 14, chose to run away from home rather than continue suffering the daily beatings at the hands of his father. As well as enduring violence at home in...
Helping the Displaced in Saraqeb
When Ali al-Homsi, 30, sought refuge in Saraqeb city, he had no idea of the bureaucratic problems life as a displaced person would bring. “I was only newly married...
A Safe Haven For Those Fleeing IS
“I will put lipstick and eyeliner on, then smoke and wear whatever I want; I will go to parks and dance at weddings and maybe in public squares. The...
Too Late to Get Married
Hana Said Ibrahim, 43, still dreams of getting married. The business and economics graduate who works as a senior government official in Qamishli city, said that her father had...
Women's Blog
Women are among the hardest-hit by the war in Syria, yet many play vital roles in the struggle for human rights, gender equality, reconciliation and social justice.
The Syria Stories Women’s Blogs provides a space for female writers to share their experiences of conflict and daily life both in Syria or as refugees abroad.
Most of them have had no previous experience of formal writing, but now have a platform where they can publish their views amid ongoing atrocities, mass displacement, collapsing public services, and personal tragedies.
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About us
- Overview
- Journalists
- Rebranding of Damascus Bureau
Since 2007, IWPR works with Syrian reporters, bloggers and activists to support freedom of expression, human rights and democracy.
Our work focuses on strengthening independent media, civil society and human rights groups, and on helping them sustain their efforts in an extreme environment.
Syria is one of the most dangerous media environments in the world.
Independent media workers face extreme threats both inside and outside the country, yet journalism has a vital, unique role to play in uncovering atrocities, abuses and lies.
Our writers help reveal the realities of the situation on the ground as well as contributing to the historical record of a brutal period of conflict.
Their stories also serve as an alternative to the pervasive accounts of groups with specific and often extremist agendas to promote.
Syria Stories is the new face of a website formerly known as Damascus Bureau. Through our Daily Life, Civil Society Monitor, Women’s Blogs and Photo Blogs, we share original content from Syrians inside and outside the country documenting their lives amid the ongoing conflict. The writers are all IWPR-trained men and women dedicated to independent reporting.
