June 01, 2015 – Our Weekly Selection
Our weekly selection of articles on Syria in the international press.
Honeymoon in hell: ISIS creates its own Niagara Falls: “It was all made possible by the marriage bonus he received from the Islamic State group: $1,500 for him and his wife to get started on a new home, a family — and a honeymoon.”
Thousands of Syrians return home after rebel victory: “A total of 15,000 displaced Syrians in Turkey returned home in one month after a rebel alliance captured Jisr al-Shughur, a key town in northern Syria.”
Clinic Fire In Syria Leaves 27 Dead, Many Were Children: “A deadly gas explosion at a clinic in Syria left 27 people dead in Hasakah, a northeast province. The fire was caused by the explosion of a gas canister at the Maysaloun clinic in Gamishli Sunday, and most of the victims were children.”
The Taste of Olive Oil and Thyme: “We finally understood how wise Umm Hussam had been. Our mother-in-law had risked her life to salvage things for difficult times like these.”
ISIS Launches Official Radio Station: “Al-Bayan radio station to broadcast in four languages on ISIS news in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Central Asia.”
Looters Sell Syria’s Ancient Artifacts via Social Media: “The Assad regime’s neglect of national monuments has encouraged gangs to steal and trade ancient artifacts.”
Iran to Receive Lion’s Share of New Investment Projects: “Investments are designed to expand long-term cooperation through oil and gas extraction, the construction of power plants and networks, and the establishment of new medical facilities.”
Give Syria’s refugees cash and dignity, not food and blankets: “In Jordan, out of every $100 that UNHCR receives, $98 is delivered directly to the families who need it. That is almost impossible to achieve with in-kind assistance.”
Syria’s passport rules leave refugees stranded: “Those fleeing civil war need a safe way to document their babies and themselves.”
Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (2014): Annual report
Islamic State sets up ‘ministry of antiquities’ to reap the profits of pillaging: “Looting priceless artefacts has raised tens of millions of dollars for Isil – a sum comparable to the profit the terrorists have made by the kidnap and ransom of Western hostages.”