DAMASCUS, Syria — While people in many developed countries are experiencing social revolutions for minority rights, there are less fortunate parts of the world that look more like scenes from war movies than the morning news. One such case is Syria, a war-torn country neighboring Israel and Turkey. For the past nine years, the Syrian civil war has killed thousands and displaced even more. In addition, the active armed conflict has created one of the worst economies in the world. Combine that with a pandemic, and you get one of the most volatile situations possible for the poor in Syria.
The History
To understand why the war plaguing Syria is still around, and subsequently understand potential resolutions, one must first look to the history of the conflict. Naturally, any topic of this scope has an extensive number of factors playing into it; however, many of the country’s issues result from President Bashar al-Assad’s actions.
Assad has failed to comply with a series of campaign promises, including that of democratic reform in the government. Additionally, he used authoritarian tactics such as surveillance that led to the censorship and the violent oppression of anyone suspected of challenging his regime. Assad simultaneously continued to increase the already large gap in wealth between the rich and the needy, further adding to the struggles of the poor in Syria. Eventually, the frustrations of the Syrian people became too much to bear and anti-Assad militias began a full-fledged civil war with the regime.
Economic Crisis
In addition to the ongoing violence, a nationwide financial crisis has now added to the population’s burden. The wealth gap has reached new highs given the level of inflation in the Syrian pound in the last year. This inflation is in large part due to the economic crisis in Syria’s neighbor, Lebanon. Last year, 500 Syrian pounds was equivalent to $1. This year, that value has dropped to 1,360 pounds per dollar.
As the value of the pound goes down, the prices for food are increasing. Business owners are struggling to stay ahead, thus making it harder for everyone to eat. Some Syrian families make less than the equivalent of $200 a month. The price of basic staples, like vegetables and eggs, has gone up as much as 40% and 75% respectively.
As of 2019, about 80% of Syrians were living in poverty and 40% were unemployed. As businesses close from coronavirus, the level of unemployment is only continuing to rise. As the situation worsens, criticisms continue to mount against President Assad, including some from those who were once his allies. This has resulted in him finally admitting that his people are, “between hunger, poverty and deprivation on one side and death on the other.”
U.S. Actions Against the Syrian Government
As the turmoil in Syria continues without proper leadership from Assad, other countries must wrestle with how to address the humanitarian crisis. After continued corruption stemming from the Assad regime, the United States has acted against the abuse of human rights by increasing sanctions against the country. These sanctions, under the Caesar Civilian Protection Act, target not only more people within Assad’s powerful inner circle but also any individual or organized group that would do business with them.
Essentially, any potential investors for Syria would have to cope with the loss of any partnership of the American economic juggernaut. On the one hand, these strangleholds on Syria could force a change in leadership and a resolution to the civil war. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that Assad will give up power or that his replacement will resolve tensions in the region. Either way, the continued pain of the Syrian people is a guarantee as they are still unable to afford food.
If the struggles of the poor in Syria have struck an emotional chord, consider calling congress to voice any concerns. There are clear problems in the United States that need to be addressed promptly, but consider that unlike in the U.S., Syrians may not have homes to return to after their protests.
– Bryce Thompson
Photo: Flickr