"You don't have sources of foreign currency, neither oil nor wheat - all of it we are paying from scarce hard currency. The government did not respond to questions about its economic record and about dissatisfaction over people's worsening financial situation. In Damascus, some residents say that signs of economic strain are everywhere, including beggars and homeless people roaming the streets of more affluent areas. Meanwhile, the lifestyle of Syria's elite appears relatively untouched behind the gated compounds of Yafour neighbourhood close to the Damascus-Beirut highway. "Putting the spotlight on corruption and the corrupt is a bigger crime than corruption itself," said Rajaa Jerf, Hala's sister.

Source: The Star March 16, 2021 07:18 UTC