Extended lockdown brings more burdens for Syrian Kurds
Residents in the Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria are criticizing the autonomous administration’s lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, in the absence of alternative sources of income.
Shahla Mohieddine stands in front of her courtyard in the Assyria district of Qamishli, wearing gloves and a mask she hopes will keep her safe from the coronavirus. She shows signs of bewilderment and concern as she utters a few words on her mobile phone with her husband.
As soon as she hangs up, she tells Al-Monitor’s correspondent, who is standing at a safe distance, “My children are in their room waiting for their father to bring home some vegetables and fruits. But the prices are so high that we can barely buy what we need. My husband’s income is not enough. He works at a mobile phone shop, which was shut down in compliance with the lockdown. We have no other source of income.”
