A human interest story.
Written by : Asharq Al-Awsat
on : Friday, 5 Sep, 2014
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Damascus’s Summer of Discontent
On top of the terror and violence of war, residents of Syria’s capital are plagued by water and electricity shortages as they do their best to carry on a normal existence
This undated file photo shows Syrian girls gathering water in Damascus, Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—“My son is on the phone, he said the water tank is empty. The problem is that water has not been on for three days.” With this statement, Narmeen drew an evening out with her friends to a close—an evening they had planned a week before to enjoy coffee and shisa in one of the cafés in the Damascus suburb of Abu Rummana.
The party broke up, each woman heading home; their plans to snatch a few hours to temporarily escape from a number of problems—electricity blackouts, the difficulty of moving from place to place, constant explosions—frustrated by the eruption of a new one.
These are problems that have become part and parcel of the lives of Syrians for almost four years. One man, who insisted as being identified only as Nizar T, said: “We have become so accustomed to them that we can no longer live without them.” He has to go to bed early each evening in order to wake up at the time when the water is on, and to start up the pump to fill the water tank on the roof of his home. If he stays up late one evening, his family can be out of water the next day. He pointed out that he was never, in his entire life, as committed to going to bed and getting up on time as he is today, amid the water shortage and ever-present electricity blackouts.
As for special occasions, such as Ramadan, Eid, weddings and general festivities, he shook his head, expressing a mixture of sarcasm and regret: “We have forgotten about those for three years,” he said. He mentioned he had heard from a neighbor that their telephone bills were due to arrive, warning: “Be careful when you read it, it may spoil your day.” In response, Nizar says: “Everything that spoils one’s life has come to us.”
Damascus s Summer of Discontent ASHARQ AL-AWSAT?
Written by : Asharq Al-Awsat
on : Friday, 5 Sep, 2014
0
Print This PostDamascus’s Summer of Discontent
On top of the terror and violence of war, residents of Syria’s capital are plagued by water and electricity shortages as they do their best to carry on a normal existence
This undated file photo shows Syrian girls gathering water in Damascus, Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—“My son is on the phone, he said the water tank is empty. The problem is that water has not been on for three days.” With this statement, Narmeen drew an evening out with her friends to a close—an evening they had planned a week before to enjoy coffee and shisa in one of the cafés in the Damascus suburb of Abu Rummana.
The party broke up, each woman heading home; their plans to snatch a few hours to temporarily escape from a number of problems—electricity blackouts, the difficulty of moving from place to place, constant explosions—frustrated by the eruption of a new one.
These are problems that have become part and parcel of the lives of Syrians for almost four years. One man, who insisted as being identified only as Nizar T, said: “We have become so accustomed to them that we can no longer live without them.” He has to go to bed early each evening in order to wake up at the time when the water is on, and to start up the pump to fill the water tank on the roof of his home. If he stays up late one evening, his family can be out of water the next day. He pointed out that he was never, in his entire life, as committed to going to bed and getting up on time as he is today, amid the water shortage and ever-present electricity blackouts.
As for special occasions, such as Ramadan, Eid, weddings and general festivities, he shook his head, expressing a mixture of sarcasm and regret: “We have forgotten about those for three years,” he said. He mentioned he had heard from a neighbor that their telephone bills were due to arrive, warning: “Be careful when you read it, it may spoil your day.” In response, Nizar says: “Everything that spoils one’s life has come to us.”
Damascus s Summer of Discontent ASHARQ AL-AWSAT?
