SWEIDA, Syria, July 26-- Trailing his hands over their soft green tips, Ziad Thabet looks with pride at the vegetables he planted on his rooftop as part of his efforts to achieve self-sufficiency amid soaring prices in the markets. Like most Syrians, the retired man has felt the economic hardships the country is going through, which affected the livelihoods of Syrians, particularly with the new sanctions imposed on the country by the United States. Thabet, who lives in the city of Sweida in southern Syria, didn't succumb under the pressure of the economic crisis that has been exacerbating since last year. Instead, he came up with the idea of using his rooftop to plant vegetables that he needs instead of buying them from the market. |