SYRIANS TO MARK EID FRUGALLY

DAMASCUS: In a flea market in this city, Sham Alloush rummaged through a pile of clothes for something nice to wear for Eid al-Fitr that wasn’t too expensive.

“The flea market is the only place I can buy something new to wear for the Eid holidays,” the 28-year-old, dressed casually in large sunglasses and a tight yellow top, told Agence France- Presse (AFP). “Had it not been for this place, I wouldn’t have been able to buy new clothes at all.”

Ravaged by war since 2011, heavily sanctioned Syria is also grappling with a severe economic crisis that has been compounded by a coronavirus lockdown and a dollar liquidity crunch in neighboring Lebanon.

Prices have doubled over the past year, while the Syrian pound has reached record lows against the dollar this week, further driving up inflation.

With most of the population living in poverty, Syrians have increasingly turned to flea markets to purchase clothes at an affordable price.

In a large street market in Damascus, customers perused stalls days ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“The quality of the secondhand clothes is good, their price is acceptable and they suit people with limited income,” said Sham, who has been visiting the flea market for years, usually around the holiday season.

But even this thrift haven is not immune to the soaring inflation gripping the entire country, she added. “The selection of clothes this year is limited and the prices are higher,” Sham said, inspecting a pile of second-hand tops arranged haphazardly on a table.

“But it is still cheaper than new ones.” The value of the Syrian pound had plunged to more than 1,700 to the dollar this week in an