Rural Migration to Cities Growing

Syrian authorities are responsible for the increasing migration of rural populations to urban areas, the pro-government website Syria Steps said in a June 21 article.



The proportion of the population living in the countryside has dropped over a number of years to 45% at present from 65%, the website reported. Many have moved to the capital, Damascus, and the second largest city, Aleppo, but in some cases suffer difficult living conditions.



The website blamed the government for failing to stimulate the rural economy. Authorities focused on providing health care and education in the villages without offering any solutions to unemployment, the website argued.



The government builds factories in the cities, putting a lot of pressure on urban centres and depriving rural areas of sources of income, the website said.



The number of factories in the countryside has declined, it said. The government should have built housing in the countryside rather than in the cities to discourage people from moving to urban areas, the website said.