Tehran - BORNA - Twelve months after the seismic collapse of the Bashar al-Assad administration, the promised "New Syria" remains a distant and increasingly blurred vision. An investigation by Borna News into the country’s current landscape reveals a nation caught between a phantom economic recovery and a reality of systematic sectarian tension and pervasive poverty.
When the government fell a year ago, many hoped for a swift departure from the crises of the past. However, the leadership of Ahmed al-Shara (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) has overseen a transition that many citizens and experts now describe as a descent into a different kind of chaos. Despite the suspension of international sanctions, the daily struggle for bread, fuel, and medicine has only intensified, leaving the population in a state of chronic vulnerability.
Ziad Ayub Arabesh, a university professor and economic consultant, provided a detailed breakdown of Syria’s financial health to Borna. He noted a striking paradox: while the Syrian Lira has strengthened—moving from 15,000 to 11,000 per Dollar—and annual inflation has decelerated to 36.8% from a staggering 120.6%, these figures offer no relief to the average household.
"The re-entry into the SWIFT banking system and a monthly inflow of hundreds of millions of dollars in remittances have provided some liquidity, but 90% of the population still lives below the national poverty line," Arabesh explained. He pointed out that an average monthly salary of $120—even after a 200% nominal increase—is insufficient in a country where electricity is available for only two hours a day in major hubs like Damascus and Aleppo. Furthermore, unemployment remains frozen at nearly 30%.
The security vacuum created by the power shift has led to alarming consequences. Borna News has received reports of continued Israeli military encroachment in Southern Syria, specifically in the Quneitra province, where domestic military infrastructure has been effectively neutralized.
Instead of the stability promised by the new administration, internal clashes and the suppression of minority groups have become widespread. In areas like Sweida and Deir ez-Zor, the price of fuel has skyrocketed by 50% due to armed groups disrupting transport routes, leaving over 14 million Syrians in a state of acute food insecurity.
The social fabric of the country is reportedly being torn apart by sectarian animosity. A former Syrian media professional, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation in the coastal Alawite regions as "catastrophic."
"There is a pervasive fear," they said. "Breadwinners remain in detention, women are being kidnapped, and farmlands are being burned to destroy the economic base of the Alawite community. While the authorities in Damascus distance themselves from these acts, many believe these are the actions of their affiliated mercenaries."
Activist Ahmed al-Majzoub went further, describing the current situation as a "full-scale ethnic cleansing." He reported that in both Alawite and Shia-majority areas, families are being forcibly displaced or killed under the pretext of their alleged links to the former regime or Iran. "The media talks about multi-billion dollar Gulf investments, but these projects are purely imaginary. On the ground, we see arbitrary raids and the proliferation of cheap, unregulated weaponry."
Morteza al-Shokr, another social activist who recently visited Damascus, described the atmosphere in the capital as "haunting." He noted that while markets in Jesr al-Raees are stocked with foreign and packaged goods, the streets are filled with people who can only afford to look.
"The freelance economy—repairing appliances or upholstery—which survived 14 years of war, has now died," Al-Shokr noted. "People are sitting at home in absolute poverty. In Damascus, the capital of the country, citizens are terrified to go out after dark. There is a silent, overwhelming resentment toward current policies that is only kept in check by extreme fear."
The sentiment on the streets is one of exhaustion. A retired civil servant told Borna that his pension has become worthless in the face of "ruthless" inflation. "We are moving backward," he lamented, citing the impossible costs of gas, electricity, and his children’s schooling.
Another Damascus resident pointed to the inequity of the current system, stating that institutional wealth is now concentrated in the hands of a new, small elite, while the "children of this land" are left with nothing.
Syria finds itself at a historical crossroads. The fall of Assad has not led to a democratic spring, but rather a period defined by legitimacy gaps and bloody internal rivalries. Without inclusive political reform and a genuine effort to restore central bank independence and social cohesion, the current administration faces the very real threat of a total national collapse.
As the High Council for National Security navigates these challenges, the prevailing reality for the Syrian people remains one of survival against the odds in a nation whose future is increasingly uncertain.
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