New York Times Journalists Journey Through Post-Assad Syria to Document Aftermath of War

July 23, 2025 – Syria –

New York Times Istanbul bureau chief Ben Hubbard has published a behind-the-scenes account of his long-awaited reporting trip across Syria, marking his first opportunity to travel freely through the country following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. After years of restricted access, Hubbard and his colleagues spent 16 days in February driving across Syria to document the destruction, hear from survivors, and capture the human cost of 13 years of civil war.

For more than a decade, Hubbard had reported on Syria from neighbouring Lebanon, speaking to sources remotely via Skype and WhatsApp. However, until the recent political shift, Syria’s largest cities and government-held regions remained off limits. The end of Assad’s regime opened the doors to firsthand reporting, allowing The Times team to visit areas that were once major battle zones and meet face to face with Syrians long affected by war.

The journey, which included Times photographer David Guttenfelder, reporter Hwaida Saad, and Syrian journalist Muhammad Haj Kadour, required meticulous planning and coordination. U.S. sanctions still in place during the trip meant credit cards were useless, forcing the team to carry large sums of cash in U.S. dollars. Exchange rates had plummeted during the war, and even small transactions involved stacks of Syrian pounds. Fuel was also scarce, adding to the logistical challenges.

One of the most striking stops was the village of Telmanes, where residents described how the Syrian army had allowed systematic looting after taking control in 2019, even stripping reinforced concrete roofs to extract steel rebar. The team also visited Palmyra and Aleppo, documenting both destruction and resilience.

Everywhere they went, the journalists encountered grief, memories of the dead, and uncertainty about Syria’s future. But they also witnessed a powerful determination among ordinary Syrians to rebuild. Despite the instability that remains, Hubbard expressed a hope to return, continuing to report on a country still reeling from a devastating war yet yearning to move forward.

Reference –

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/world/middleeast/a-long-overdue-reporting-trip-through-syria.html