A few days separate us from the end of a year that is, by all accounts, the most catastrophic for Syria and the Syrian people. While the world is preoccupied these days with counting its Coronavirus-related losses, the pandemic itself almost seems just a small detail in the long list of tragedies that Syrians are experiencing.
It is no secret that the constant trend in Syria since the outbreak of the crisis to date is the trend of continuous decline and deterioration at all levels, primarily with regards to the humanitarian and living conditions of Syrians in the different parts of Syria, and within a large portion of refugee communities.
Why is it so difficult to provide stable energy flows? Is it the sanctions? Syrian official authorities deny the fact that the sanctions are the main reason of the current economic crisis, rather they point towards adapting to it and to the fact that it existed before. So, according to them, the problem is due to dollar shortage, particularly its shortage in Public Finance, and the inability to pay suppliers.
The value of the Syrian pound heavily expresses, not only the economic aspect, but also the various aspects of the disaster experienced by more than 90% of Syrians, including its humanitarian and political aspects.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he will visit the occupied Syrian Golan Heights today, Thursday, November 19, during his visit to the Zionist entity.
Environment statistics are the least elaborate statistics in Syria. Despite the increase in wildfire frequency during the past decade, and the impact of global climate change on the increase of wildfires worldwide, Syrian data do not regularly monitor these fires or they do not make it available to everyone. Also, what is being published about the wildfires and the losses in woodland areas vary to a large extent between international and local estimates.
Disparities between the wealthy and the poor in Syria do not need statistics and proofs, as street children sleep on the ground and cry out for water in front of hotel visitors like the Four Seasons in central Damascus. Not to mention the financial elites whom we do not see, instead they gather in isolated wealthy compounds. However, numbers are necessary and more informative than sightings, and therefore, statistics of income disparities between the wealthiest and the poorest have never been included in governmental accounting and have always been within the framework of appreciation and diligence.
Arab and foreign media are broadcasting news and leaks about undeclared negotiations with the Zionist entity. Regardless of whether this news is true or not, those who are leaking them mean that, according to their narrow perceptions governed by their narrow interests, to say that a specific deal is being prepared in the dark and under the table, with specific directions that neither serve the interest of the Syrian people nor the peoples of the entire region.
The editorial of the last issue of Kassioun dealt with one of the basic aspects of the right of Syrians, and Syrians only, to self-determination for themselves and for their political future state. In particular the aspect related to the form of the state and the nature of the relationship between centralization and decentralization.
If the constitution is one of the main topics that come up nowadays due to the “ongoing work” of the Constitutional Committee (which is revolving in place till now), what is more important is that talking about the new constitution and paying attention to it is mainly due to it being one of the main pillars of the political process outlined in UNSCR 2254, which specifically calls for ≪drafting a new constitution≫.
