Cii News| October 30, 2012

The conflict in Syria that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of
people has had a drastic effect on local businesses.

What started out as an uprising against President Bashar al Assad over a
year a go has graduated into a raging civil war.

Business in most parts of the country has taken a sharp downturn as local
civilians are the hardest hit in the war situation.

Local economies in various villages have been devastated and business is
slow because most of the residents have fled.

A petrol station owner, who call himself Mohammed, said he invested $15 000
in his business but now he can not access the necessary petrol deliveries.

“I can not wait for the revolution to end,” he told Cii News.

A barber shop has just reopened after it was ransacked and looted by forces
loyal to Assad.

72 year old Abu Saeed sat outside his only source of income and said that he
replaced the chairs but his shop still has broken windows.

On the contrast, bakery owners claim that they are doing financially well as
they provide food for residents. The financial stability of bakers have made them a threat to the Assad regime and out of fear, they kicked out journalist and photographers from their stores.