Survivor Stories

Documentary: Nat Geo – No Man Left Behind: The One That Got Away

British Special Air Services soldiers are dropped behind enemy lines during the Gulf War, but the mission does not go to plan and within days, three men are dead and four are captured. (Photot: National Geographic Channels/ Charlie Sperring).

In an operation during the Gulf War, eight British Special Air Services soldiers are dropped 140 miles behind enemy lines to take out a network of Saddam Hussein’s Scud missile launchers. The mission goes wrong and within days, three men are dead and four are captured. Chris [continue reading].

Intern Article: Malala – Education Key To Girl’s Future

Education lacks for young children especially for girls in Pakistan, the country has the second highest number of children not having the opportunity for an education. On July twelfth, 1997, Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, a city in Swat Valley Pakistan. As young girl she [continue reading].

Short Animation Film: Diary Of Life Under Islamic State Control

Short Film Diary Of Life Under Islamic State Control – Alistair Reign News Blog Two young journalists were publicly beheaded for speaking to media - punishment for speaking to the press or using social media is beheading.

It was Mother’s Day when DAESH took over his city of Al-Raqqah. DAESH is an acronym for the Arabic phrase “al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham” (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). Also known as ISIS or ISIL. The television series ‘Today’ [continue reading].

Iraq: Girls Who Escaped ISIS Are Speaking Out And Fighting Back

The teenager, Nihad Barakat Shamo Alawsi, was taken to Syria and then to the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq, she told an event in London on Wednesday. "They raped us, they killed our men, they took our babies away from us," Alawsi, now 17, said at the event organised by the UK-based AMAR Foundation, a charity that provides education and healthcare in the Middle East.

Several hundred Yazidi And Kurdish women and girls who had been kidnapped by ISIS in Northern Iraq and Kurdistan – sold to the Islamic extremist fighters and used as domestic and sex slaves – have joined an all-female battalion to launch a massive assault against [continue reading].

Photos: Tell Stories Of Coping And Resilience In Yemen

A group of children photographed while exploring the empty streets

The images most often associated with Yemen today are those of war, poverty and dire humanitarian crises. Yemeni photographer Thana Faroq, who is based in Sana’a, set out to prove that life exists beyond the war. On her Facebook page ‘Everyday Yemen‘, she [continue reading].

MSF Report: Central African Republic Internally Displaced Crisis

MSF is providing healthcare and running mobile clinics in five camps around Bangui.

A nervous calm prevails as the Central African Republic awaits the final round of presidential elections due to take place in early February. Renewed outbreaks of inter-communal violence since September is keeping the population on edge, with many fearing a flare-up of tension [continue reading].

Documentary: We walk together – Syrian family’s journey to Europe

Thousands of refugees were sleeping rough at Budapest’s Keleti station, waiting for trains to take them to western Europe. Then, they just got up and walked. Guardian journalist and filmmaker John Domokos went with them, every step of the way. This is the story of one Syrian [continue reading].

Greece: Islanders Recognized For Sacrifice And Bravery

Greek islander Antonis Deligiorgis, left, pulls an Eritrean woman, Wegasi Nebiat, from the sea off Rhodes last year. (Photo: Argiris Mantikos/ AP).

Greek islanders who have been on the frontline of the refugee crisis are to be nominated for the Nobel peace prize with the support of their national government. International group of academics to propose those on frontline of refugee crisis be commended for their ‘empathy [continue reading].

Documentary: Melissa Fleming – A Voice For Refugees

UNHCR’s Melissa Fleming (left) with Syrian refugee Nahed Mir Ali, who trekked across Hungary on foot before taking a train to Vienna. (Photo: UNHCR).

“Every day, I listen to harrowing stories of people fleeing for their lives, across dangerous borders and unfriendly seas. But there’s one story that keeps me awake at night, and it’s about Doaa,” Melissa Fleming Voice for refugees. As head of [continue reading].

Documentary: The Girl Who Forgave The Nazis

Holocaust survivor Eva Kor, 81, who publicly forgave Oskar Groening and even embraced him in court

In April 2015, Eva Kor, who survived the Holocaust, publicly forgave ex-Auschwitz accountant Oskar Groening. This documentary tells their stories, and explores the impact of her forgiveness. January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK, a time for us to remember the victims [continue reading].

Yemen: Saudi-Led Sleighs Deliver Bombs, Death – Spread Despair Everywhere

UNICEF estimates nearly 400 children have been killed and over 600 injured in the past four months in the country, the poorest in the Middle East. 13 Yemeni teaching staff and four children were killed by a Saudi air strike on August 20. Two days before, coalition bombing in the Amran province took the lives of 17 civilians, injuring 20 more. UNICEF condemned what it called the “senseless bloodshed.” A Red Cross spokeswoman said the violence in Ta’iz, in southern Yemen, in just one day on August 21 left 80 people dead.

“Children are terrified by noises. Finding food is a challenge. There’s rarely power. Many people in Yemen and beyond dream of an end to the fighting. As the civil war in Yemen continues, many families say they are living in constant fear. “Parents say that their [continue reading].

Syria: One Refugee Family’s Terrifying Journey To Austria

Saad and Oula in their new home. (Photo R Waites)

After years of waiting and hoping the civil war in Syria would come to an end, Saad and his wife Oula finally decided to leave their home in Damascus and travel to Austria, where Oula’s brother has lived and worked for the past 11 years. They spoke to The Local about their [continue reading].