After years of war in the Duma: It will be even better - thanks to Assad

After years of bombings and probably a poison gas attack in the Syrian city of Duma is back under government control. Even if the structure is missing, help the residents bring back a piece of your life.

By Anne Ameling, ARD-Studio, Cairo

The noise from the forge penetrates down to the street. Yassin and his brothers have pulled up the rolling grilles high; your garage is adjacent to the sidewalk and looks like a Garage. Wall spade backrest; a pair of hammers and Axes hanging from the low ceiling. Yassin and the other working on the grinding stone and the anvil. The business is going well, says Smith, and adds: Better it could be. "We have everything, and step for step it will be even better. Now we have regular electricity."

The blacksmith Yassin in his workshop in the Duma

Regular electricity for the people in the Duma is alone the a lot of value. The city, about 15 kilometers East of Damascus, is completely destroyed. For years, armed insurgents fought government forces in fierce battles. Thousands of people fled the city, many were killed. Since April, 2018, the Syrian army controlled the Duma.

The farmers can once again harvest

is Hardly a house still intact. Where once the Windows were, gape huge gaps. The house walls are torn down, full floor to ceiling hanging down. But there, where at least a ground-floor was still in one piece, have a dealer established. A sold tangerines, and cabbage, another of mint, and thyme - fresh harvest from the environment.

"During the crisis there was no work," says Yassin, the blacksmith, over the long period of siege and Fighting. "We work with the farmers. In the crisis, there was nothing, but now you manage your arable pieces again."

The traces of the war are virtually seen everywhere in the Duma.

A customer from head-to-toe veiled, buys Yassin a new Hammer. There is much to do for those who remained in the Duma. The roads are full of potholes, the sidewalks are broken, it smells like burnt Diesel. A couple of soldiers have made a small fire under a corrugated sheet roof. The houses bare-bones on the roadside, and you can imagine how beautiful the Duma once must have been. Who wants to build something, you must lend a Hand. The Syrian state there is a lack of money. His allies, Russia and Iran hold back on building aid, the West, anyway - for political reasons.

Syrian army liberated Duma of the Islamists

On the outskirts of the city, has recently opened a Café: a large plastic tent with a few heaters, tables and chairs. Three young couples have moved in to the family area, Smoking water pipe, whisper quiet.

you should have been doing in the past eight years, through a lot, told one of them, the 22-year-old Qais. the " It was disastrous. But now, thanks to God and thanks to the Syrian army, everything is in the Duma again. And it will still be much, much better, as long as Bashar Al-Assad is at the helm of this country."

Qais says that, while a man from the Ministry of information and five more soldiers in the Interview to observe. Qais girlfriend Marwa is pleased that in the Duma will no longer Islamist extremists have to Say. Life had become beautiful, she says. "We have everything. It's more work again for me as a woman. I can get back to work, go out or even to finish my studies. Among the extremists, it was impossible that we, as women, anything."

Marwa hopes to soon find a Job to support her family, because her father has been unemployed for years. Only with the help of friends and Relatives, you can keep your head above water.

food supply

In a small shop on the main road ensures there is vivid operation. Ahmed does not break. While he speaks, he must see to it that the freshly baked dough pockets, and Mini-packaged pizzas quickly and sold. For four years the young father of a family works in the bakery. Earlier it was very difficult work, because of the war and because of the shelling, he says. In addition, there had been hardly any food such as flour. "Other ingredients such as meat and cheese were missing, which we do our business. Now it is better: The ingredients that we need are now secured."

Ahmed and his colleagues work daily eight to ten hours in the pizza bakery

in Order to cover the expenses for his wife, his three small children and himself, needs Ahmed the equivalent of six dollars per day. He works every day for eight to ten hours.

More:

the war in Syria: Misleading reports to the state Duma attack, 28.02.2019 Syria: OPCW use of chemical weapons in Duma, 01.03.2019 Atlas |Syria |Damascus

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