Christians in Syria face many difficulties because of the ongoing conflict and changes in control of cities like Aleppo. Many families have lost their homes, jobs, and schools for their children. Some, like Nermen’s family, fled villages because of attacks and lived in unsafe houses with few belongings. They had to work hard just to [...]
Laos has tried to grow its economy by working closely with China and using its natural resources like rivers, forests, and minerals. This helped the country build roads, dams, and railways, and reduce poverty. But it also created problems. Laos borrowed a lot of money, especially from China, and now has high debt. When COVID-19 [...]
Syria remains very fragile after more than a decade of civil war. The country needs a political transition that is led by Syrians themselves, where everyone is included and decisions are made fairly and transparently. This transition should help Syrians choose their future peacefully and without outside interference. Right now, the political situation is unstable, [...]
Lebanon is facing a very serious water crisis due to low rainfall and extreme heat. The country’s biggest reservoir, Lake Qaraoun, has dropped to its lowest level ever. This year, it received only 45 million cubic metres of water, far below the normal 350 million. Many other reservoirs and underground water sources have also dried [...]
Türkiye is facing a major wave of forest fires, with over 624 reported by early July. Fires have burned large areas, especially in Izmir, where 50,000 people were evacuated. Strong winds and high heat made firefighting difficult. Some fires started from accidents, like a beekeeper’s smoke. Though Türkiye has improved its fire response with planes, [...]
Many Syrian families living in Türkiye are planning to return home this summer as the situation in Syria slowly improves. With the school year ending, more refugees see this as a good time to go back. Since the former Syrian leader left power in late 2024, over 273,000 Syrians have returned voluntarily, but around 2.7 [...]
Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis in 2025, worsened by ongoing conflict and structural challenges. The war with Israel, which intensified in late 2024, has devastated key sectors. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that Lebanon's GDP could shrink by 9.2% if hostilities persist, thereby compounding the country's long-term vulnerabilities. Infrastructure damage is [...]
Syria's prolonged civil war has triggered a profound humanitarian crisis. Approximately 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, with 66% experiencing extreme poverty—a stark increase from pre-conflict levels of 33% and 11%, respectively. The war has caused the death of close to 618,000 people and 113,000 gone missing. More than half the population is [...]