Syria’s environmental challenges, resulting from a decade of violent conflict, along with the February 2023 earthquake, have aggravated Syria’s vulnerabilities, particularly in the northwest. Syrians already faced myriad problems relating to water scarcity, wildfires, reduced agricultural productivity, and public health concerns. The earthquake amplified the impact of these crises and hampered local coping mechanisms. It also intensified the displacement of Syrians across the northwest, damaged critical infrastructure, and exacerbated poverty. Delivering relief has been a considerable challenge in the current political context of normalization with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
To understand the underlying factors contributing to human insecurity, the challenges faced by local populations and organizations, and the type of humanitarian and political support required from international actors in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is organizing an event on September 19, at 5:00 PM Beirut Time. The speakers will be Joseph Daher, Marwa Daoudy, Muzna Dureid, and Hani Khabbaz. The event will focus on recently published Carnegie paper examining these issues, titled “Northwestern Syria in the Time of Cholera, Earthquakes, and Environmental Degradation”, co-authored by two of the panelists (Marwa Daoudy and Muzna Dureid).
The discussion will be held in English and moderated by Lama El Hatow. Viewers may submit their questions to the panelists using the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube.
For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org
