Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Syria Deeply holiday update. Here are a few of our recent headlines. We’ll return to our regular Friday newsletter in the new year. Happy holidays from the whole News Deeply team.

When Barrel Bombs Fall, Enter the White Helmets

When barrel bombs fall on opposition-held neighborhoods across Syria, the White Helmets rush in. The selfless work of the Civil Defense volunteer force is well known, but the individuals who risk it all on a daily basis are not. Syria Deeply met with a young volunteer in Aleppo to hear his story.

The Stories Behind the Caesar Photos of Killed Detainees

Human Rights Watch has concluded a nine-month investigation into the Caesar photographs, a collection of thousands of images of more than 6,700 detainees who died in Syrian government custody. Syria Deeply spoke with one of the report’s authors to learn more.

Self-Delusion at the U.N. Over Syria

With no mention of embattled President Bashar al-Assad, the “milestone” resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council on Friday is the latest example of a peace process that is entirely missing the point, writes political analyst Sharif Nashashibi.

Find our new reporting and analysis every weekday at www.syriadeeply.org.

You can reach our team with any comments or suggestions at info@newsdeeply.org.