Syria: Weathering the storm
We were standing outside the factory gates. The factory was of interest. First, it was not bombed – or not all that much. Second, it was actually functioning. Making things. Yes! When did I last see that in Syria? Most of all it had a cracking roof: a perfect vantage point for filming across no-man’s-land into the battered and pockmarked flats which mark the fought-over al-Amleha district a few hundred yards away.
Oh, and plenty of sold-wall air-conditioning vents for cover.
But then we saw the factory. Steaming vats of bright green, red, orrange goo. Tens of thousands of coloured balls and tablets rattling about in rows of weird silver cauldron-dryers. Women furiously packing tablets into carboard packets.
The air heavily-scented with sugar, positively sickly.
“Come my friends come!”
Why – it was none other than General Manager Abu Adham utterly keen to show us every vent, conveyor, heater, dryer, cooker in the place.
We’d chanced upon the Damascene Willy Wonka.
That being so we needed, he insisted, to see every shell-hole as well, every bullet hole, hole-hole from god know’s what munition. He appeared to want us to scoop up 7.62 full metal jacket rounds from Kalashnikovs lying around all over the place here.
Abu was all energy and Syrian hospitality to the last. Nothing was any trouble, let alone too much. In a country where the official default position is “No”, Abu ‘s is “Why not ? Please” Yes! Of course my friends!”
I wanted to hug him. Instead it was pointed out to me I should interview him.
“It’s not easy. It is terrible my friend,” he laughed unaccountably,” but we must go on. We must work. Almost two hundred people depend up on the factory for their money. Many live in hot-spots around the city and we hear all about the kidnappings all the time but we have to stay at this.”
He described how they’d laid on a bus service to try and get everyone in and out – not that the plant itself is very safe as the various bits blown off it testify.
But still he enthused. Even international sanctions on Syria which mean transferring capital to and from the country is very difficult , merely seemed to represent the invigoration of challenge for the irrepressible Mr Abu Adham.
“Of course the sanctions affect our prices very much and it is very hard for us. Finding the right raw material is now very difficult. Sometimes we find alternatives but other times it is simply not possible. Sometimes we have to close certain lines. Come – let us have tea no?”
It occured to me at this point I could close my eyes and believe I was in the company of a middle-manager in Warrington discussing the vagaries of double-dip recession.
No, this is the bloodiest conflagration in the Middle East right now with more people displaced than at any time anywhere perhaps since World War Two and at least 70,000 people killed.
Utter insouciance? Heroic human spirit? I’m still entirely confused by the indefatigable Abu.