Far from war’s front lines, life in Syria is still tough | Reuters
By Dahlia Nehme | DAMASCUS DAMASCUS Large parts of Damascus have survived almost six years of conflict in Syria relatively unscarred, but shortages of fuel and electricity, spiraling prices and a lack of jobs mean the lives of its residents are far from unscathed.A series of recent military victories has made the government more secure but done little to alleviate many hardships, evident in the queues of cars snaking out of petrol stations alongside columns of pedestrians with jerry cans.Meat, once a staple for many, has become a luxury for all but a few and prices are soaring on a thriving black market."We are barely managing," said Sufian, a 47-year-old oil engineer speaking at a jobs fair where he was looking for better employment along with hundreds of younger Syrians whose economic prospects have been short-circuited by the war."This year I had to borrow money to keep providing for my family," he told Reuters, withholding his full identity. Such struggles show how hard it will be for President Bashar al-Assad to reassert normality across Syria, even if his opponents' hopes of ousting him appear to have been dashed for now by Iranian and Russian-backed government advances.Conditions in Damascus - though difficult - are better than in many other parts of Syria, with large districts mostly intact, suffering only occasional bombardment, and with running water restored after it was cut off for weeks earlier this year.Elsewhere in government-controlled areas, damage has been more extensive, there has been no running water for long periods and fighting makes access to the outside world precarious.It is also in far better shape than many rebel-held areas, devastated by intense aerial bombardment and critically short of food, water and medical supplies.BURNING GARBAGE Half of Syria's population has been displaced by a conflict whose sixth anniversary falls on March 15.
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| Reuters appeared first on Firstpost.