Conflict presses Syrian economy
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="Economics">Economics</span> <span word="Report">Report</span>.</p><p><span word="Eighteen">Eighteen</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="conflict">conflict</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="hurt">hurt</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="economy">economy</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="capital">capital</span>, <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="level">level</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="normalcy">normalcy</span> <span word="exists">exists</span>. <span word="Prices">Prices</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="higher">higher</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="goods">goods</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="available">available</span>.</p><p><span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="reporter">reporter</span> <span word="Elizabeth">Elizabeth</span> <span word="Arrott">Arrott</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="visited">visited</span> <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span>. <span word="Her">Her</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="guidance">guidance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="official">official</span>.</p><p><span word="She">She</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Spice">Spice</span> <span word="Market">Market</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Old">Old</span> <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="unusual">unusual</span> <span word="sight">sight</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="civil">civil</span> <span word="war">war</span>. <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="forces">forces</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="striking">striking</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="towns">towns</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="rebels">rebels</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="support">support</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Damascus">Damascus</span>, <span word="business">business</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="good">good</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="operates">operates</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="grandfather">grandfather</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="sells">sells</span> <span word="cumin">cumin</span>, <span word="dried">dried</span> <span word="peppers">peppers</span>, <span word="pine">pine</span> <span word="nuts">nuts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="almonds">almonds</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="gone">gone</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="customers">customers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="business">business</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="thankful">thankful</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="supplies">supplies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="arriving">arriving</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="shop">shop</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="cutting">cutting</span> <span word="back">back</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mainly">mainly</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="essential">essential</span> <span word="goods">goods</span>.</p><p><span word="Another">Another</span> <span word="shopkeeper">shopkeeper</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fallen">fallen</span>.</p><p>“<span word="You">You</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="crisis">crisis</span>.”</p><p><span word="Afif">Afif</span> <span word="Dala">Dala</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="Ministry">Ministry</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Economy">Economy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Trade">Trade</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="restrictions">restrictions</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="violent">violent</span> <span word="reaction">reaction</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="opponents">opponents</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="problems">problems</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="normal">normal</span>.</p><p>“<span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="depends">depends</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="itself">itself</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="sufficiency">sufficiency</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="diverse">diverse</span>."</p>
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