Interview: “They were even firing indiscriminately” – IDP Hassan Hassan after the Turkish-backed SNA’s attack on Shehba

Hassan Hassan is an English teacher and works with the NGO S.O.S. Afrin.  He is originally from Afrin and lived almost seven years in Shehba. His family and he were displaced to North and East Syria following the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army’s December 1 offensive to seize Shehba. He talks to RIC about his memories of the SNA’s attack, mass displacement from Shehba, the travel to Tabqa, and his situation having been now twice displaced.`

Explainer: Kurdish neighborhoods besieged in Aleppo

Two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, are currently besieged by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) following the Islamist force’s unexpected advances and capture of Syria’s second-largest city from Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian Arab Army (SAA). These neighborhoods have maintained their autonomy from both the Assad government and the Islamist opposition since the start of the Syrian conflict, becoming a safe haven for those fleeing violence, persecution and violent repression elsewhere in Aleppo and Syria. In this explainer, Rojava Information Center (RIC) provides key information on the neighborhoods, their humanitarian and political significance, the previous violence they have endured, and the grave threat now facing these isolated neighborhoods.

“Mala Jin”: The unique women’s houses transforming Middle Eastern society

The Rojava revolution in North and East Syria has become a world-famous example of women’s liberation. Women’s houses – called “Mala Jin” – have played a key role in mediation and reconciliation within civil society, as well as providing education and protection for women. This article offers a detailed insight into the works of the Mala Jin.