Year in pictures - 2021

In late February last year I moved to Beirut to report for the Norwegian newspaper VG. Here are some of the stories I’ve done.

A bridal party traverses the streets of Beirut, Lebanon during a demonstration in the capital on June 26th.

Life in Lebanon is becoming increasingly difficult for the population, with soaring inflation and many families having difficulties of putting food on the table. The economic collapse have been called one of the worlds worst since the 1850s by the World Bank.

As a consequence, demonstrations have been happening regular has a way for the population to show their mistrust and frustration against the government.

The al-Hawl detention camp in northern Syria now houses 60,000 women and children. After ISIS was territorially defeated in 2019, their women and children were housed together in camps in Syria, with no opportunity to leave.

The summer of 2021 was another grim year in Lebanon, where old forests went up in smoke. Here, two drive through the remains of historic forest that burned in the north of the country.

Lebanon is ravaged by more, and stronger, wildfires.. The UN believe the world will see more of this as a result of man-made climate change. At the same time, they criticize the world for not acting to prevent disaster.

A civilian on a motorbike is traversing a road block set up by protesters in Beirut, Lebanon against the worsening living conditions in the country.

During a demonstration in Beirut, Lebanon, a man shows the peace sign while carrying a bullet.

In the autumn of 2021, a huge influx of refugees came from various countries in the Middle East and towards Belarus. Their goal is to reach Poland and into the EU. But first they have to cross the dangerous border that separates Poland and Belarus. Those who actually pass trough the border, often leave clothes and belongings in the forest before they are picked up by human traffickers and flee further into Poland and the EU.

Darkness descends on the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, in July. During the summer, the whole national power grid came down, and only the few ones that had private generators - and money for diesel - were able to have lights in their home.

From drought to oil

The drought in northern Syria has been described as the worst in the country for the last 70 years. Shepards and farmers have struggled to make ends meet, and some have even taken up work at the potentially lethal makeshift oil raffineres in the Hasakah-province.

The access to water has been so restricted many places so on some parts drinking water is more expensive than benzine.

These raffineres are dangerous both for the people working there, for the local environment and for the population nearby. The story in VG.

Escaping from the Taliban

Thousands of Afghans have embarked on a life-threatening escape from the Taliban and Afghanistan, but face strict and closed borders.

In addition, many face violence from border guards, which makes it difficult for them to reach Turkey and Europe. If they are seen by the police here in Turkey, they fear that they will be arrested - and in the worst case - forcibly returned to Afghanistan.

The story in VG.

Nadah

7-year-old Nadah was born into a brutal war.

She and her family have now fled the front line, but in order to survive in everyday life, she and the rest of the family must collect trash. They are looking for everything they can find of values that can then be resold.

The war in Syria has forced 6.7 million to become internally displaced, and six million have fled the country. Estimates show that around 590,000 people have lost their lives in the ten-year war.

The story in VG.

The collapsing city

When the war in neighboring Syria started, hell broke out in the city of Arsal in Lebanon. They received tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, ISIS fighters invaded the city and the mayor was threatened received death threats.

The Islamist terrorists were chased out of the city after three years, but shortly afterwards the country's economy collapsed with soaring inflation and many families having difficulties of putting food on the table. The economic collapse have been called one of the worlds worst since the 1850s by the World Bank. Now everyday life has become a struggle for survival.

The story in VG.