Syria

03 March 2022; MEMO: There are 14.6 million Syrians in need of aid and around 6.9 million others displaced, the UN announced yesterday. The spokesperson for the UN secretary-general said that Syria has the largest number of "internally displaced persons (IDP) in the world." Stephane Dujarric added that they were also facing a "high level of needs" and "limited access" to basic services.

27 Feb 2022; MEMO:Syria is set to ration its reserves of wheat and other essentials and basic goods, in a range of measures to brace against the shortages and major supply issues predicted to result from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Syria's Council of Ministers, which cited the need to ration basic goods such as wheat, sugar and cooking oil. The Council also said that it would limit the regime's public spending, as commodity prices around the world are expected to rise significantly.

26 Feb 2022; MEMO: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has reiterated his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that it benefits not only Moscow but humanity as a whole.

In a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday, Assad told him that the Russian invasion of Ukraine "doesn't only defend itself, but it defends the world and principles of justice and humanity."

DAMASCUS, Feb 25 (NNN-SANA) – The Syrian cabinet yesterday decided several measures, to deal with the possible impact of the Ukraine crisis, on the economic situation in Syria, it was reported.

The measures were decided during a government special mini-session, it said.

According to the report, the measures include implementing necessary steps to manage and boost the stocks of basic materials, such as wheat, sugar, oil, rice, and potato, during the next two months, and to ensure the sustainability of their availability.

22 Feb 2022; MEMO: Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition yesterday of two breakaway territories in Eastern Ukraine, the Syrian government and the de-facto Houthi-led government of Yemen have announced their support of Moscow's declaration that the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk are independent entities.

Damascus, Feb 23 (AP) Israel fired several surface-to-surface missiles toward Syrian military positions in the country's south early Wednesday causing material damage, state media reported.

State TV quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that the missiles were fired from Syria's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and struck areas around the nearby town of Quneitra.

It added that the attack that occurred shortly after midnight caused material damage but no casualties.

RAQQA, Syria (AP) — In a square that a few years ago was a grim stage for the Islamic State group’s brutal rule in the Syrian city of Raqqa, Mahmoud Dander sat deep in thought.

He wants to leave Syria, but has a problem: The 75-year-old has no money. He recalled the old days before protests and wars led to his country’s collapse and national currency crash: Syria wasn’t thriving back then, but he had work, his children had university degrees and decent futures, and food was always on the table.

That’s all gone now. “We have fallen, just like our currency,” he said.

20 Feb 2022; MEMO: The trafficking of narcotics from Syria into Jordan is becoming more "organised" through the use of arms, drones, and better vehicles, Jordanian military officers have revealed to AFP.

DAMASCUS, Feb 17 (NNN-SANA) – Israel fired multiple surface-to-surface missiles last night, from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on military sites in the vicinity of the town of Zakiyeh, south of Damascus, according to a military source.

The attack caused material losses, it added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, said that, several explosions were heard at military and security sites near Zakiyeh.

The assault is the latest in a spate of Israeli attacks on Syrian military sites, suspected of linkage with militias.

ROJ CAMP, Syria (AP) — It was night when Zakia Kachar heard the sounds of footsteps approach her tent in a detention camp for foreigners affiliated with Islamic State group extremists. With rocks in their hands, the wives of IS fighters had come for her.

She fled with her children to another area of the Roj Camp in northeast Syria. “They wanted to kill me,” she said.

Earlier that day, the dual Serbian-German national had fought back in an altercation with a camp resident disapproving of her wearing makeup. The woman had bitten her, and Kachar slapped her in defense.