Abu Kamal Suffering Under Poverty

The Communist Party newspaper Kassioun has described Abu Kamal, the village in eastern Syria hit in a cross-border raid by United States forces last month, as an impoverished area whose labour force is leaving in droves.



US sources said the October 26 attack targeted al-Qaeda figures responsible for smuggling weapons and insurgents over the nearby border with Iraq, while Damascus said eight civilians were killed and there was no militant presence in the village.



In a November 17 report on conditions in Abu Kamal. Kassioun said the unemployment rate there is high and many residents left have to find work in Gulf states. For those who remain, agriculture remains the major income source and there is no industry to create employment.



The newspaper accused Syria’s government of short-changing farmers by raising the price of seeds at the same time as it increased the purchase price for crops.



In addition to poverty, Kassioun said, Abu Kamal is plagued by corruption. Residents have pay bribes for the simplest things, such as getting civil registration documents. Meanwhile, many children are not attending local schools, which are understaffed even though many teachers are out of work.