Ruth Sherlock

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The European Commission says it's trying to better prepare Europeans to deal with natural disasters, cyber attacks and geopolitical crises, including the possibility of a war. Europe in recent years has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. the conflict in Ukraine and extreme weather events linked to climate change.

The European Commission says it's trying to better prepare Europeans to deal with natural disasters, cyber attacks and geopolitical crises, including the possibility of a war. Europe in recent years has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. the conflict in Ukraine and extreme weather events linked to climate change.

The document says, quote, none of the major crises of the past years were isolated or short-lived. Europe cannot afford to remain reactive. Among the many recommendations listed, the Commission says Europeans should begin to stockpile food and identify possible shelters to protect them in a crisis. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome.

The document says, quote, none of the major crises of the past years were isolated or short-lived. Europe cannot afford to remain reactive. Among the many recommendations listed, the Commission says Europeans should begin to stockpile food and identify possible shelters to protect them in a crisis. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome.

There's these metal gates between the walls, but it's barricaded by a mound of earth. But the gate has opened a crack, so we're going to climb over the mound to get inside.

There's these metal gates between the walls, but it's barricaded by a mound of earth. But the gate has opened a crack, so we're going to climb over the mound to get inside.

There's these metal gates between the walls, but it's barricaded by a mound of earth. But the gate has opened a crack, so we're going to climb over the mound to get inside.

There's a bone here. The weather has worn a lot of it away. It's white and partially eroded. I just want to take a moment and

There's a bone here. The weather has worn a lot of it away. It's white and partially eroded. I just want to take a moment and

There's a bone here. The weather has worn a lot of it away. It's white and partially eroded. I just want to take a moment and

really think about what we're doing here because it's easy to not comprehend the truth of what this place could be but when you hear the stories you hear every day truck after truck after truck piled high with corpses of people who'd been executed or died in detention under the Syrian regime were brought here and it's chilling to think that many of those people might be under this ground

really think about what we're doing here because it's easy to not comprehend the truth of what this place could be but when you hear the stories you hear every day truck after truck after truck piled high with corpses of people who'd been executed or died in detention under the Syrian regime were brought here and it's chilling to think that many of those people might be under this ground

really think about what we're doing here because it's easy to not comprehend the truth of what this place could be but when you hear the stories you hear every day truck after truck after truck piled high with corpses of people who'd been executed or died in detention under the Syrian regime were brought here and it's chilling to think that many of those people might be under this ground

I mean, it was just surreal. Just even being able to cross the border from Lebanon would have been, you know, almost impossible for a Western journalist. Syria had become such a closed country. But just a couple of days after the fall of the regime, we did just that. We drove across and, you know, we were stamped out of the Lebanese side.

I mean, it was just surreal. Just even being able to cross the border from Lebanon would have been, you know, almost impossible for a Western journalist. Syria had become such a closed country. But just a couple of days after the fall of the regime, we did just that. We drove across and, you know, we were stamped out of the Lebanese side.

I mean, it was just surreal. Just even being able to cross the border from Lebanon would have been, you know, almost impossible for a Western journalist. Syria had become such a closed country. But just a couple of days after the fall of the regime, we did just that. We drove across and, you know, we were stamped out of the Lebanese side.

And on the Syrian side, we just passed an empty immigration office. Nobody even looked at my passport. By the customs, there was a group of rebel fighters, but they kind of just grinned at us and waved at us as if they even couldn't believe what was happening. And then it's a short drive to Damascus, just over 40 minutes.