STORY: Syrian family's hard life under shadow of U.S. occupation
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 26, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:32
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Syria
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): GHASSAN AL-HAMOUD, Al-Hasakah resident
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AL-BATOUL ALIWI, Ghassan Al-Hamoud's wife
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): QAIS ALIWI, Merchant, Al-Hasakah resident
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): NOOR AL-HAMOUD, Student, Al-Hasakah resident

STORYLINE:

In Al-Hasakah city, northeastern Syria, a family of six told Xinhua about their everyday struggle brought by the presence of U.S. forces in northeastern and eastern Syria.

Ghassan Al-Hamoud, a 51-year-old schoolteacher and father, recalled a time when life under Syrian governance was peaceful, with accessible education, food security, and family bonds. However, the American occupation has stripped away these comforts.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): GHASSAN AL-HAMOUD, Al-Hasakah resident
"In the past, we lived a wonderful life under the Syrian government, where education, food security, and essential living tools were available. Family relationships were intact, and traveling between provinces was easy. Comparing that to today, the presence of the American occupation has deprived us of these aspects and complicated many issues."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AL-BATOUL ALIWI, Ghassan Al-Hamoud's wife
"The American occupation forces exert significant pressure on the local people as they control Syria's resources, including oil wells, agricultural crops, and border crossings. This has opened the door to smuggling, chaos in the marketplace, and pressure on farmers who are compelled to either sell their produce to the American occupation forces or see their crops being burned. This situation will undoubtedly have adverse effects on the economic and social life of our community."

Qais Aliwi, a 32-year-old merchant and the brother of Al-Batoul, said the U.S. is the primary cause for the suffering endured by the Syrian people.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): QAIS ALIWI, Merchant, Al-Hasakah resident
"The direct and explicit impact of the American occupation in Syria's eastern region has severely affected the lives of the youth. Our economic opportunities have disappeared entirely with the presence of the occupation, the Caesar Act, and the fluctuating exchange rates. All of these are caused by the Americans."

Noor Al-Hamoud, an 11-year-old student and the youngest member of the family, expresses her challenges, including the considerable distance to school and the overcrowded conditions in her classrooms.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): NOOR AL-HAMOUD, Student, Al-Hasakah resident
"They closed all the schools near our homes, and now we have to walk long distances in the rain and cold. In the classroom, we have over 80 students cramped there, and can't concentrate because of the American occupation. We can't live well. We are children and are uncertain about our future."

As this family grapples with the harsh realities, their story echoes the broader struggles faced by communities in northeastern and eastern Syria.

On the government level, officials have strongly denounced the losses caused by the U.S. occupation of oil fields in Syria.

Oil Minister Firas Hassan Kaddour said in July that the U.S. occupation had led to economic losses of about 100 billion U.S. dollars in Syria's energy sector.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)