STD

Recent weeks have seen an acceleration in the restoration of political and diplomatic ties between Syria and the Arab world. These moves have included visits of Bashar Al-Assad to the UAE and Oman the following day, a visit to Cairo by Syrian FM Faysal Meqdad, and reports that Saudi Arabia and Syria would soon reopen their consulates in their respective capitals.

Over a month after earthquakes devastated northern Syria and southern Turkey, local populations and governments are still reeling from the damages and consequences of the crisis.

Over 6,000 people have been killed and more than 26,000 injured after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks, the largest of which was 7.6 in magnitude, struck southern Turkey and northern Syria within a space of 12 hours in the early morning of February 06. 

The Syrian president issued a one-time bonus for pensioners and state employees, as the value of the Syrian pound drops to around SYP 4,500 per US dollar on the black market.

A new report on the NGO sector in Aleppo highlights the prominent role regime figures play in the industry, as well as the high dependency of NGOs on UN funding.

An affiliate of the Bemo banking group is providing microfinance loans to members of a charity linked to a militia that fought during the war and to various Iranian political figures. The charity is based in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab. Another company involved in this project is the local agent of Western Union. The move carries serious risks to the group’s reputation.