- Published
Last month, protests erupted in squares and streets across Syria.
asserted
protests → publish → Syria
People burned tyres, blocked roads and chanted slogans, angry at the government's decision to raise fuel prices again.
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People → burn → prices
It was the largest show of discontent yet since President Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power two years ago.
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Sharaa → come → power
Speaking on a Syrian TV channel, a man said he still supported the authorities but that his situation had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer afford to buy bread.
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he → speak → bread
"Honestly," another said, "we have begun to fear what kind of new decision each morning will bring".
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morning → say → decision
The increase was the latest in a series of measures people blame for a growing cost-of-living crisis.
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people → blame → crisis
For many Syrians, life, financially, has worsened since rebels led by Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad, ending five decades of his family's brutal rule and more than 13 years of a devastating civil war.
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rebels → worsen → war
Catapulted to the presidency, Sharaa has, since then, led Syria's transition and efforts to revive a broken economy after a long period of mismanagement, isolation and conflict.
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Sharaa → catapult → mismanagement
There was never any doubt about how challenging this would be.
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this → be → ?
But as they celebrated Assad's overthrow and their new freedoms, Syrians, perhaps unrealistically, hoped things would quickly improve.
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things → celebrate → overthrow
That, however, has not materialised, and the handling of the economy has frustrated many here.
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handling → materialise → many
From essential bills to basic items, the cost of virtually everything has gone up.
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cost → go → everything
And many saw a further and unexpected rise in fuel prices as a sign of a government out of touch with its country.
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many → see → country
"We don't want roundabouts.
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We → want → roundabouts
Every day they build a new roundabout.
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they → build → roundabout
People stood by you and are still with you," another protester said, addressing Sharaa, "but this will [make] things explode".
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things → stand → Sharaa
Days later, amid calls for further demonstrations, the increase was revoked.
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increase → revoke → demonstrations
In a suburb of Damascus, I joined Fatima Saleh Eid at an open-air market for her weekly shop.
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I → join → shop
At 50, she works as a cleaner to help support her family.
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she → work → family
"We've suffered a lot," she said.
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she → suffer → ?
Her husband had recently been hired by a ceramic factory after a year unemployed.
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husband → hire → year
He is among the lucky ones, as many are struggling to find work.
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many → struggle → work
In some streets, men gather in the hope of meeting someone offering a day job; often, they wait in vain.
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they → gather → job
Since coming to power, the government has slashed long-held subsidies as part of an austerity drive.
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government → come → drive
The price of bread, a Syrian staple, has increased tenfold.
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price → increase → bread
Fuel prices are now in line with the international average, which has put pressure on farmers and made transportation more expensive, while the cost of electricity has gone up several hundred per cent for some.
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cost → put → some
The authorities, in response, have adjusted public sector wages, including pensions; unsurprisingly, the effect of the additional pay for people has been lost as prices keep rising.
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prices → adjust → people
"We eat more sparingly now.
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We → eat → ?
We can't afford chicken anymore nor meat.
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We → afford → meat
We only eat vegetables but even [that is] expensive," Fatima said.
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Fatima → eat → vegetables
"Inshallah [God willing] things will get cheaper."
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things → get → ?
As she spoke, around a dozen people, of all ages, gathered around us.
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people → speak → us
Nobody disagreed.
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Nobody → disagree → ?
One elderly man also said he had stopped eating meat.
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he → say → meat
Another, in his 20s, told me his family were no longer able to pay the medicine for his father, who had a heart condition.
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who → tell → condition
One young woman said she and her four children could only afford to have a proper meal every two days.
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she → say → meal
Marwan Bashour, a 68-year-old pensioner, said his monthly pay was around $90 (£70), which is the public sector minimum wage.
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which → say → ?
"It's not enough at all," he said.
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he → say → ?
The United Nations Development Programme said 90% of Syrians were in poverty last year.
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% → say → poverty
Marwan told me how he made ends meet.
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ends → tell → me
…and 36 more, not listed.
The Aporia
