I just spent 17 days in Damascus, from January 14 to January 30. I had never imagined I would learn this much in such a short period of time.

I know it’s a cliché, but in this (long) thread 1️⃣🧵, I want to reflect on these two weeks that—perhaps selfishly—brought me so much.

I hope that one day, I’ll be able to give back to Syria for all it has given me. 2️⃣ Most of the people I spoke with (in English, Arabic, and (broken) Turkish) were regular, everyday individuals—mostly poor or extremely poor. Predominantly Sunni Arabs, but also some Alawites, Christians, and a few Turkmens.

My comments and reflections below are in no way, shape, or form linked to formal research. My questions were driven by curiosity and a desire to understand Syria and its people better, with the aim of speaking and writing about the country with greater precision and a deeper understanding of conditions on the ground. As such, I'll be sharing thoughts rather than anything else. So do not expect any actual academic, technical, or journalistic feedback.

(I apologize in advance for the (probably) disconnected and raw thoughts.)

While #Turkey is very a seismically active area and strong earthquakes frequently take place, this is NOT the case for #Syria. The February 6 Earthquake only further highlights the Syrian people's unluckiness.

A thread on earthquakes in Syria according to official data. I went through the 7,200+ earthquakes recorded by Syria's National Center for Earthquakes (NCE) between 1995 and 2021 and here is what I found:

1. Since 1995, no earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 and over was recorded on Syrian territory. Turkey witnessed 18.

Since #Syria is back into the international spotlight and that misinformation regarding sanctions and humanitarian aid is back on the menu, it’s time to provide a few facts in order to clear things up.

1. Sanctions do not prevent humanitarian aid from entering Syria. This one is a give but you can still check this handy @eu_echo guide regarding humanitarian exemptions and/or read about the US implementing further exemptions in Dec 22.

home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel…
dgecho-partners-helpdesk.eu/sanctions/huma…