Economic Woes Depress Syrians

Syrians are worried and depressed about their finances and concerned about inflation, the official newspaper Tishreen reported on July 13.



The newspaper interviewed a number of people on the streets of Damascus, who complained about their personal finances and said they were reducing spending by buying clothing second-hand or buying . Others were cutting back on more basic items, opting to buy only vegetables and cereals instead of meat, fruit and rice.



These days Syrians are spending a lot of their incomes on food, transport and heating fuel.



"It's very difficult to offer my sons and daughters the computer and language courses they need to prepare them for life," said one father.



The newspaper said theft, bribery and corruption were now more common, and economic difficulties were putting a strain on family relationships and friendships.



The pro-government website Syria News reported on July 14 that a recent government study found that Syrians consumed less meat than people in other Arab countries,



The study, conducted by the agriculture ministry, found that the average Syrian consumed about 22 kilograms of meat per year, compared with 36 kilograms in Jordan and 62 in Saudi Arabia.