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Nine years of war in Syria have cost the lives of more than 360,000 Syrians. Four in five Syrians now live below the poverty line and the economic situation is worsening by the day – even in government-controlled areas like Damascus where the fighting has largely stopped.

There is little independent reporting from Syria, but we have a rare account of what life is like in Damascus. Myriam Youssef, not her real name, has written this essay for us, which has been voiced.

(Image: One of the main markets in Damascus in January 2020. Credit: Epa/Youssf Badawi)