Abortions are illegal in Egypt unless they are necessary to save a married woman's life. But that doesn't stop local women from having one. Egyptian society needs to acknowledge this, activists say. By Diana HodaliMore
Millions in Idlib depend on aid coming through a northern border crossing. On 10 July, the UN Security Council votes whether to keep it open. The decision may hinge not only on Syria, but also on the Ukraine war. Diana Hodali reportsMore
Syrian opposition activists say they know what it's like to go up against the Russian military. Some experts think things may have turned out differently in Ukraine if the West had stood up to the Kremlin over Syria. By Diana HodaliMore
The 2020 Beirut port blast was a traumatic experience for many people in Lebanon. A large number sought therapy in the aftermath. But, with doctors leaving the country, help is not easy to find. Diana Hodali reportsMore
The catastrophic human rights situation in Bahrain is being largely ignored by the rest of the world. Despite all the damning evidence, which includes a Human Rights Watch report, the West is unlikely to apply any pressure on the regime due to geostrategic interests. By Diana HodaliMore
The Turkish lira is in freefall – with devastating consequences for people in the Syrian region of Idlib. 46-year-old Khadija needs two jobs to provide for her familyMore
Journalists are under fire from all factions in the Yemen conflict. Rasha Abdullah al-Harazi, nine months pregnant, recently died in a car bomb attack in Aden, her husband barely survived. Just one of many, as Diana Hodali reportsMore
Millions of people in Syria's Idlib region depend on foreign aid that passes through only one border crossing. The UN mandate regulating passage through it will expire on 10 July; a humanitarian disaster looms if it isn't renewed. Diana Hodali reportsMore
Coronavirus, economic crisis and an unresolved explosion: the situation in Lebanon is tense and a new lockdown is only making things worse for a people already suffering trauma and economic devastation. Diana Hodali reportsMore
Since the violent explosion in Beirut in early August, Lebanon has found no peace. Ever more Lebanese want to leave the country. With her bags packed, Cindy Chemaly Cochrane says she no longer wants to live in fear. By Diana HodaliMore
Emirati talk show host Anas Bukhash has struck a chord with his programme "ABtalks" which probes social questions that others fight shy of. In the Gulf, "nobody wants to talk about the elephant" in the room, he says. By Diana HodaliMore
A friend of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Omar Abdulaziz is a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia. Living in exile in Canada, the activist has been warned by the police of a possible threat against him. By Diana HodaliMore
War, poverty, cholera – and now coronavirus has taken hold in Yemen. The country could collapse, aid organisations fear. A Yemeni journalist talks about the situation in her country. By Diana HodaliMore
With social distancing impossible in tents, a coronavirus outbreak in one of Lebanon's Syrian refugee camps would quickly turn catastrophic. Yet, many Syrians have more existential fears than those posed by the virus. Diana Hodali reportsMore
How are people in the Middle East and North Africa dealing with the new coronavirus pandemic? Women from countries across the region, some of them war zones, share their worries – and hopes. By Diana HodaliMore
No soap, hardly any water and no space to quarantine: in Idlib there is growing concern over the possible spread of coronavirus. A women's centre there is trying to educate people. Diana Hodali reportsMore
Since seizing power in mid-2021, the Taliban have continued to restrict the rights of Afghan women and girls. At the end of 2022, they banned women from attending higher education. By Nele Jensch
