The Middle Eastern country had relatively few cases and had relaxed its shutdown. Residents will be asked to avoid outings except for emergencies.

"Hydroxychloroquine is included in the [Syrian] national case management guidelines for COVID-19," though there's no evidence that it's effective, a World Health Organization representative tells NPR.

Even with stringent lockdowns, the coronavirus has spread through migrant communities in some Middle Eastern countries where foreign workers live in cramped quarters.

Lebanon is suffering from environmental devastation. With activists alleging the government is failing to regulate the polluters, some Lebanese citizens are taking matters into their own hands.

From its seas, to rivers, to its air quality, Lebanon is ruining itself. Scientists say the country should be a cautionary tale of what happens when governments prioritize business over environment.

As Kurds strike a deal with the Syrian regime, foreign ISIS women in a panic to escape are reaching out to smugglers. This comes as ISIS circulates messages to coordinate help for escaped "sisters."

Rock bands in Lebanon recently held a concert to protest what activists see as a shrinking space for free speech.

Syrian government forces are advancing into a strategic town, forcing opposition fighters to leave. The province has been a refuge for many Syrian civilians, but now it's threatened.

An important rebel city falls in Syria as the government's relentless attack on the last rebel province turns one of the last corner's in the civil war.

An Austrian woman struggles to get her daughter out of Syria, where she went as a confused teen with her husband to live under ISIS.

An oasis town in the country of Oman is famous for its tales of spirits and jinns — possibly a result of its history as a fortress town surrounded by dangerous desert.

After objections by Christian leaders in Lebanon, organizers of a festival there canceled an upcoming appearance by Mashrou' Leila, a popular band with an openly gay lead singer.

The narrow waterways of the Strait of Hormuz have recently been the scene of confrontation but they're also a highway for traders, smugglers and dolphins.

Refugee agencies say scores of migrants have drowned off the coast of Libya, again highlighting the failure by regional leaders to address the dangerous migrant sea route.

Oman has emerged as a quiet facilitator of dialogue, including between Iran and the U.S. "We always keep a focus not on the negative, but on the positive," says Oman's incoming U.N. ambassador.

The country of Oman is surrounded by conflict but has managed to stay neutral. It is now trying to lessen the tension between the U.S. and Iran.

Oman plays an important role in trying to bridge relations between the U.S. and Iran and its incoming ambassador to the United Nations says he still has hope conflict can be averted.

Syrians already suffering from war are seeing their source of food go up in flames amid widespread crop fires that appear to be intentionally set.

President Bashar al-Assad has called on the millions of Syrians who've fled the brutal civil war to return home, but thousands who have come back end up imprisoned and often tortured.

Lebanon requires refugees to live in shelters made of canvas or wood. A new military decree directs them to demolish concrete walls over 3 feet high by July 1. Many don't know where they'll live next.