August 10, 2015 – Our Weekly Selection
Our weekly roundup on Syria’s economy and society with a dozen articles.
Backbone of the Syrian Revolt – Inclusion of Rural Sunnis Key for International Efforts to End Conflict: “Yet on the ground, the jihadists have largely failed at administering the areas they have captured. That evolving disparity – disenchantment with the militants and lack of appetite for a return to Assad’s rule – offers an opportunity to reactivate the dormant opposition government, which Germany initially backed but then let drift.”
Countering the war economy in Syria- evidence from three local areas: “The main argument of this paper is that the conflict in Syria needs to be viewed as a societal condition in which armed groups have emerged as the main economic actors and in which the allocation of resources is determined by violence.”
ISIL, JAN and the war economy in Syria: ” ISIL has developed a comprehensive model for running a proto-state, a model that includes governance and the provision of public services; for example, a judiciary system, policing, education, an army, an ideology and intelligence.”
Why haven’t Syrian banks collapsed under sanctions and war?: “After years of devastating conflict and crippling international sanctions, the Syrian economy is largely in shambles. However, contrary to the expectations of the United States and the European Union, Syrian banks have largely weathered the storm.”
Syria’s grim statistics ‘speak for themselves,’ reflect need for political settlement, Security Council told: “Altogether, over one million people have been displaced from their homes in 2015 so far, many for the second or third time; this adding to the 7.6 million people already internally displaced as of the end of 2014.”
Syrian refugees in Armenia ‘stumble from one crisis to another’: “After striking deals with suppliers in Dubai and Turkey, they too have rebuilt in miniature the business they once owned in Aleppo’s famous bazaar.”
Handbook for persons displaced from Syria to Armenia (PDF)
How War Has Destroyed Syria’s Economy in Four Charts: “From oil production to GDP, Syria is in free fall.”
Turkey sends in jets as Syria’s agony spills over every border: “Black market oil quickly became the main driver of Isis revenues – and Turkish buyers were its main clients.”
Syria’s Oil Industry Largely Destroyed: “If and when the war ends, Syria may be able to produce oil again for its own needs, but the Syrian export industry, he says, may be a thing of the past.”
Ike’s Food for Peace to the Rescue in Syria: “A program started by President Dwight Eisenhower is a lifeline today for Syria’s war victims. The U.S. Food for Peace initiative is feeding millions of hungry Syrians affected by the brutal civil war.”
Electricity Crisis Maddens Regime Supporters in Damascus: “Discontent soars among pro-Assad areas as power cuts and other public services fail to provide adequate living conditions.”
Black Market Organ Trade Thrives in War-Torn Syria: “Illicit organ trade targeting the dead and detainees covered-up by government and intelligence officials, sources explain.”
World Food Program cuts aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan: “In August, food aid for the most vulnerable among the voucher recipients, or about 200,000 people, will drop from $28 to $14 per person per month and for the rest from $14 to $7, the WPF said.”