Evacuation of the Rebel Forces in Aleppo Marks the Syrian Government’s Control of the City

By Anna Graham
4/6/2017

     After a period of inconsistent cease-fire, the evacuation of the rebel forces in Aleppo is complete, marking the President Bashar al-Assad’s win over the four-year battle for what was once the country’s largest city. Made possible by Russia’s aid, the Syrian government’s control over Aleppo guarantees the President’s position of power for the remainder of the civil war.

Previously, the city was divided more or less evenly among the rebel and government forces, but Russia’s aid allowed the government to take control over the majority of the rebels’ territories. On the 13^th of December, Russia declared that the battle for the city was over. The rebel forces had agreed to a cease-fire and surrendered their remaining territory to the government.

In addition, an evacuation period was agreed by the rebels and government for both the remaining rebels and civilians in the city. The evacuation was supposed to begin on the 14^th of December. However, the government did not comply to the cease-fire agreement, and continued to bomb and shoot both rebels and civilians attempting to leave the city. Due to pressure from the United Nations and Turkey, the Syrian government eventually agreed upon an evacuation that officially began on the 21^st of December. It concluded on the 22^nd, with at least 34,000 people evacuated, according to the United Nations.

With the retaking of Aleppo, the government now has control over almost all of Syria’s largest cities. The President’s victory over Aleppo proves his power within the war, and could possibly affect the outcome. However, the retaking of Aleppo does not mean that the war is over, for much of the country is still controlled by rebel forces and Islamic extremist groups such as ISIS.

Hurricane Matthew Leaves Catastrophic Damage in Its Wake

By Kierstyn Kiser
4/06/17

       Hurricane Matthew, now a Category 5 storm, hit the North Carolina coast yearly October 12, 2016, with winds reaching 160mph. So far, 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes and 27 people have died.

Rescue workers are attempting to recover those stranded in the storm, but heavy flooding inhibits their efforts.

Hurricane Matthew first made landfall in Haiti on October 4 as a Category 4 storm. There it killed over 1,000 people and destroyed many more homes.

After hitting Haiti, the storm swung up to hit the Southeastern coast of the U.S.

The Hurricane skirted around Florida. Only the outer edges of the storm made landfall, yet 100,000 people are still without power days after the storm passed the area. Florida Governor Rick Scott warned Florida residents, “This storm’s a monster… I’m going to pray for everybody’s safety.”  Several coastal towns have been submerged in the flood waters. It is expected that the flooding will continue to rise over throughout the next few weeks.

North Carolina had more property damage with the storm causing the Lumbar and Tar rivers to overflow their banks. It has been reported that Lumberton, Tarboro, Goldsboro, and several other coastal towns suffered the most from the storm. The Hurricane passed the North Carolina coast during the weekend. Although the storm has moved on, the damage is far from over.  The severe flooding is expected to get much worse and cause more damage for several weeks.

Rescue workers must fight through the rapid currents to reach stranded civilians and return them to dry land. Relief centers and shelters have been set up offer lodging and food to those displaced by the storm.