Syrian Trade Routes Shift as Cucumber Shipments Carve Out Divide - Bloomberg

Syrian Trade Routes Shift as Cucumber Shipments Carve Out Divide - Bloomberg:

"The cucumbers at Haitham Mohammad’s stall used to travel a few miles to Damascus from the lush fields of Ghouta around the Syrian capital. They now get shipped from more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) away.
The produce comes from the northern Aleppo Province after anti-government rebels captured the key agricultural area that supplied Damascenes with most of their fruit and vegetables. Prices are rising as drivers demand more money because the roads are unsafe and fuel is now more expensive with international sanctions on Syria’s oil industry.
“Before the conflict, I used to receive vegetables from all over the provinces,” Mohammad, 32, whose stand is at the al-Zablatani souq in Damascus, said last week. “Everything is available, but things are expensive.”"

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