In 2011, the world was shaken by the Arab Spring, a wave of "pro-democracy" protests that spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The effects of the uprisings reverberated around the world as regimes fell in some countries, and civil war began in others. This week, we revisit the years leading up to the Arab Spring and its lasting impact on three people who lived through it.
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Thousands of migrants have drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe. The dangerous journey does not deter many more from the risky crossing.
The shipwreck, which took place overnight between Thursday and Friday, was the latest tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea along a key but dangerous route for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.
The floods in Derna left thousands dead, missing and displaced. Here are scenes from last week, as search and rescue teams and survivors dug through mud, continuing the work of recovery.
"They have seen death, not just in their families but within themselves as well," a Libyan doctor tells NPR. "Their souls are crushed, their hope is lost. How can you come back from such a thing?"
Huda Akram is a doctor based in Benghazi, Libya, whose family hails from Derna. She spoke to NPR on Wednesday, describing the harrowing scenes and what is happening now.
Climate change makes deadly floods, like what happened in Libya, more likely. Floods in China, Greece and Brazil in recent weeks underscore the growing danger.
In the coastal city of Derna, dams broke, sending a torrent of water that submerged whole neighborhoods. Rescue efforts are complicated by the fact that Libya is divided between rival governments.
At least hundreds of people have died and thousands are feared missing in eastern Libya after Storm Daniel swept in, destroying dams and unleashing a torrent of muddy water that carried homes away.
The confirmed death toll from the weekend flooding did not include Derna, which was inaccessible, and many of the thousands missing there were believed carried away by waters after two dams burst.
Egypt now has the highest number of illegal migrants to Europe, lured by smugglers who charge a hefty fee for a risky voyage by sea. We interview families who had a loved on the shipwrecked Adriana.
Kevin Dawes describes how a fellow prisoner in Syria kept a promise that called attention to Dawes' detention. Now, five years after his release, Dawes is suing the Syrian regime.
Kevin Dawes describes how a fellow prisoner in Syria kept a promise that called attention to Dawes' detention. Now, five years after his release, Dawes is suing the Syrian regime.
Rights groups accuse nations of using COVID-19 as an excuse to shut out refugees. Here's one story of migrants attempting a deadly voyage to Europe, only to be pushed back to where they fled.
