STORY: Humanitarian crisis worsens as Syria marks 13th anniversary of civil war
SHOOTING TIME: March 14, 2024
DATELINE: March 16, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:55
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of streets in Damascus
2. various of Hadia Kamel Kurdi and her family 
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): HADIA KAMEL KURDI, Aleppo resident
4. various of Mohammed Ibrahim Hindawi and his wife in WFP center in Aleppo
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMED IBRAHIM HINDAWI, Aleppo resident
6. various of streets in Damascus
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): HAYAM ALI, Damascus-based economist
8. various of streets in Damascus 

STORYLINE:

Hadia Kamel Kurdi, a mother of five from Aleppo City in northern Syria, is deeply troubled by the dire situation confronting her family. Most of the time, they have nothing to eat, and when they do, it's often just olives, thyme, or boiled potatoes.
  
SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): HADIA KAMEL KURDI, Aleppo resident
"Everything is scary for us. The situation will become worse than now. I have four children with many needs. Three of my children work, but this is not enough. For example, we just buy a small amount of olives and thyme. We don't have fruits or anything else. The children are becoming dehydrated. We live on the meals sent by the orphanage association every two days."
   
As Friday marks the 13th anniversary of the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, Syrians face a harsh reality that few could anticipate years ago. A recent report by the United Nations (UN) said that 16.7 million people inside the country are projected to require humanitarian assistance this year, the highest number of people in need since 2011.
   
According to the humanitarian needs overview released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to cover the month of February, the staggering number, which makes up roughly 75 percent of the Syrian population, is due to the ongoing conflict, widespread displacement, inadequate services and infrastructure, and economic collapse.
   
Mohammed Ibrahim Hindawi, a disabled man in Aleppo, said most of the time he had nothing to eat.
  
SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMED IBRAHIM HINDAWI, Aleppo resident
"My children are young and they work after they were prevented from going to school so they can work and help with expenses and rent. We have nothing. You can enter the house, but you will not find anything at all. I am thinking about whether I will eat or feed the children. Yesterday we did not find anything to eat."
   
Spiraling prices, coupled with a depreciating currency, have rendered the cost of living unattainable for many. The economic fallout, experts warned, is not transient but rather persistent, with repercussions expected to reverberate for years to come.
   
Experts highlight that the enduring aftermath of the war, compounded by external pressures such as economic sanctions, contributes significantly to Syria's economic woes.
   
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Hayam Ali, a Damascus-based economist, underscored the destructive consequences of unilateral sanctions, which severely undermine food security and livelihoods.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): HAYAM ALI, Damascus-based economist
"The impact of U.S. sanctions has led to more poverty, more need, and a decline in production, which is now reflected in the lives of Syrians, such as a decline in food security and people suffering from food insecurity. It is now affecting the younger generations in Syria, with recent statistics showing children heading towards malnutrition and suffering from undernourishment. Therefore, we can say that the American sanctions are starting to have a crystallizing and deep impact on the lives of Syrians."
   
The economist emphasized the need for urgent actions both at home and abroad, noting that while external aid remains crucial, concerted efforts to bolster the agricultural sector and enact targeted economic policies are also indispensable, despite that the road to recovery is arduous.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)