“The military fighter has just carried out, disperse crowds, be aware, the military fighter change the line, it is heading south..”, these phrases become so familiar and common to Syrians in liberated areas which are broadcasted on FM transceivers around the clock to warn the citizens from a close warplane or helicopter flying in the area sky.
Abo-Suleiman sits before some boxes of fruits- oranges and lemons – to sell them in Idlib city market; there are wrinkles on his sad face although he is forty- five years old only, but the life of war and its tough circumstances in the liberated areas held by rebellion factions, have burdened him interpreting these miseries with wrinkles.
Once alarm whistles were on in the market, all the salesmen of vegetables and fruits abandoned their goods heading the entrances of nearby buildings to hide till danger( warplane or helicopter) left the sky of the city; however, Abo-Suleiman did not run but remained before his goods watching here and there, and looking at the sky replying his neighbor who called him to hide:” you can never escape death wherever you are, we have nothing so we hold on to life, may Allah has mercy on us all”.
Citizens in Idlib city used to buy their groceries and foodstuff from the city market, where it was earlier crowded with people and salesmen who used to call for their goods to attract customers. However, due to the fierce campaign carried out by air force against the city, its streets and markets become almost empty, where the number of salesmen decrease after regime has intended to target the crowds in the markets; the goods become always threatened to get damaged after each raid, the owners may be safe, but their goods are likely to get damaged.
Abo-Suleiman said with clear heartbreak on his face while remembering his old days in Idlib marketplace or what was known with Al-Saha Market (the Yard Market) :”I used to have a big shop selling all kinds of vegetables and fruits, but regime brutality and its repeated raids led to damage the goods more than once in addition to material damages to the building. I lost my capital to the extent that now I sell few kinds of fruits to earn my living only.. thanks Allah”.
The market merchants have lost due to the brutality of warplanes, their conditions are getting worse because people buy their daily groceries from shops in residential neighborhoods near their houses although they are more expensive, but people buy from these shops for being far away from the markets that may get raided. Market becomes a source of fear to the people of the city; the thing led to recession in the markets and little profits for those merchants.
Idlib citizens have not forgotten the massacres committed by regime in its markets where the causalities in a massacre before Eid- Adha reached 80 martyrs most of them children. The ruined shops will keep reminding the world with their droop and inhumanity of the national community.
By Samah Alkhaled
Translated by Sabah Najem
#Syrian_press_center
