Arwa Damon

Afghans fleeing Iran's war are crossing back into a country that can barely receive them, with no money, no humanitarian aid and no future for their daughters, reports @IamArwaDamon from the Islam Qala border crossing, for @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/iran…

Always great to hear @IamArwaDamon

Afghans fleeing Iran's war are crossing back into a country that can barely receive them, with no money, no humanitarian aid and no future for their daughters, reports @IamArwaDamon from the Islam Qala border crossing, for @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/iran…

Such a pleasure to be on. Thank you @Acosta for giving time to this

The UN General Assembly just adopted a resolution on the enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Here is the vote total below - 123 in favor. The U.S., Israel and Argentina were the only countries that voted against. UK and France notable abstentions.

Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank “is going into overdrive, it’s worse than ever,” says Norway’s Foreign Minister @EspenBarthEide. “Settler violence, settler activity, even supported by the Israeli government, allowing settlers to take full control of territories that legally is Palestine and which even agreements that Israel has signed have recognized as to be controlled by Palestinians.”

“Iran’s Afghan Refugees Flee Homeward” Afghans fleeing Iran's war are crossing back into a country that can barely receive them, reports @IamArwaDamon from the Islam Qala border crossing, for @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/iran…

Our @INARAorg team carries out their activities for the children while there is still daylight. At this stage when we’re talking about mental health and psychosocial support for the children, it’s really all about entertaining them, making them laugh and smile. It might sound simple but do not underestimate the importance on a child’s psyche, to show them that they CAN still laugh and smile despite all they have been through, despite the bombs, displacement, and hardships.  When night falls this one abandoned small hotel turned makeshift shelter in the mountains above the capital Beirut that houses around 280 people goes dark. There’s no generator running to the building and municipal power only comes for two hours a day. Lebanon has always had electricity problems. My charity INARA’s rapid response in Lebanon currently encompasses hot meals, medicine, hygiene kit and sanitary pads distributions. Plus, the sort of activities, you see here for the children. We will be adjusting what we do and the areas we reach as the situation develops.  Conditions change very quickly and roughly half of our INARA team is displaced themselves. It’s extraordinarily hard to respond to a crisis that you are also living, to not only worry about how you’re going to meet the needs of the people, but also what your own future is going to be, how your own family is going to stay safe.  Please support and donate to our work at: inara.org/lebanon Remember all donations go 100% to our work on the ground. We get our overhead  & staff costs from other funding sources.

Thank you @Malala for all you do ❤️

I had the privilege to share my solidarity with the Palestinian people in a meeting with Ambassadors Riyad Mansour and Majed Bamya, and Senior Advisor Sahar Salem at the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. The ongoing Israeli genocide has destroyed or damaged every single school in Gaza. Places where children gathered, asked questions, made friends and imagined their futures no longer exist. The scale of destruction demands accountability and justice. And Israel is still blocking books and school supplies from entering Gaza, alongside other essential items like water, food and medicine — threatening the survival of an entire generation. Malala Fund will continue to support organisations responding to the crisis. We stand with local leaders working to help girls learn, rebuild their communities and shape their own futures.

Excellent reporting by @Najmeh_Tehran: After thousands were killed in a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests in Iran in January, Mandana gave up hope for reform from within. She came to the conclusion that the Islamic republic’s leaders had to go even if it meant US and Israeli-led regime change. So when US and Israel killed Khamenei Mandana believed the change she coveted had finally come. Her experience in the terrifying days since has shattered that belief. “We weren’t supposed to be bombed,” Mandana said, her voice trembling after a massive explosion near her apartment by Vanak Square in central Tehran “Our city, our country, this wasn’t supposed to happen." Many, even those who loathe the Islamic republic, appear to have recoiled at the destruction and comments including Donald Trump’s threat to target electricity production facilities if the regime escalated. The US president also said Iran’s map will “probably not” be the same after the war, sparking fears the conflict could break apart the country. ft.com/content/4e048e…

That money was enough to save the lives of more than 3 million children worldwide, with nutritional paste for malnutrition, bed nets against malaria, vaccination programs and community health workers. Instead we spent it blowing up people and things, and raising gas prices.

A horrible and immoral idea. The Lebanese government just outlawed Hezbollah's military activity. 79% of Lebanese want Hezbollah disarmed according to a Gallup July 2025 poll. Hezbollah is more isolated than ever in Lebanon, facing unprecedented ferocious criticism even from the Shia community for dragging them into a war for Iran's benefit. Why punish the Lebanese government & entire population, which is using state infrastructure? How did this collective punishment implemented in the 2006 Lebanon War help achieve any of Israel's goals?

An Arabic saying has made the rounds in the Gulf recently: “Those who wrap themselves in America are naked.” As the Iran war continues, Gulf leaders are openly wondering if they've backed the wrong team. Read @chrysographer and I in @newlinesmag: newlinesmag.com/spotlight/thos…

As Israel bombards Lebanon and targets Hezbollah, huge numbers of people have been displaced, with Justice Minister @adelnasar_ telling me he thinks “the number is really higher than [800,000]… The civilians are suffering a lot. The country is suffering huge damages… The current situation is very difficult.”

📍Tyre, Lebanon | Saving lives should never cost a life. Today we mourn Youssef Assaf, a volunteer from @RedCrossLebanon, who was killed while carrying out his humanitarian duty. First responders and medical teams must be respected and protected.

I have talked to some Israeli officials and read a good deal of Israeli media. Here is how the war in Iran is perceived there so far: 1) On a tactical level, they believe it has gone very well and Israel has destroyed more of the Iranian military capability than expected. 2) They are disappointed that the regime has not been weakened as much as expected and that they remain in firm control. In particular the lack of a "rise up" among the population is a cause of concern. 3) They are finding Trump to be unreliable. While Israel favors a prolonged campaign to ensure total dismantlement of threats, Trump has signaled a desire to end the war "soon," creating a potential rift in war aims. 4) Hezbollah is stronger than expected. It has hit Israel with drones and missiles and killed soldiers. They have recovered better than expected. 5) The inability of Ben-Gurion airport to withstand closing and chaos has shown fragility in Israeli social cohesion. 6) They are disappointed in the lack of support from Gulf States who want an end to the war rather than the escalation Israel wants. 7) Israel accepts that the regime in Tehran will survive and just hopes that this weakens them in preparation for the next round. 8) There is a growing fear among Israeli strategists that they are winning the war but losing the region. While military targets are being obliterated, the civilian infrastructure damage is causing a backlash. 9) The war is proving very expensive. The need to divert NIS 28 billion ($9 billion) to the military has forced the government to freeze social projects, leading to the first significant anti-government protests since the war began, specifically from the middle class bearing the tax burden. 10) They are aware that the war is very unpopular in the US and that Israel is being blamed. They are concerned about the ramifications for the alliance. While Netanyahu is painting this as a huge success, it really doesn't look like one to Israeli strategic planners. The public knows it as well.

Mar 4th in Montreal, come join! Free event at Kawalees cultural space Food and drink available for purchase RSVP: inara.org/montreal

🎧 “You need to recognize that you will give up a part of yourself that you probably will not be able to define, and you need to be okay with that.” ICYMI: @IamArwaDamon joins @FaisalAlYafai on this award-winning episode of The Lede. newlinesmag.com/podcast/the-wa…

It's been four months since the ceasefire in Gaza began. In that time though, the Israeli military has killed more than 500 Gazans, and Palestinians still face a dire humanitarian crisis. So what is life actually like now in the Strip? I talked to @IamArwaDamon: