FEAR & HOPE

Like his predecessor, Sharaa governs by decree, with little to no transparency, causing many Syrians to fear they have merely exchanged one autocrat for another, replacing a secular dictatorship with an Islamist one

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Much like Germans during the hyperinflation that plagued the Weimar Republic a century ago, Syrians today rarely leave home without carrying thick stacks of cash.

As sectarian tensions-long repressed in a country ruled by the Alawite minority until recently - continue to fuel instability, ATMs cap withdrawals at around $40 per week, if they are working at all.

Six months after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, which ended the country's brutal 13-year civil war, Syrians are still struggling just to make it through each day. Despite the overwhelming hardships, many cling to the hope that a measure of normalcy may soon be within reach. But every week brings hardships that belie such optimism. Most recently, by using Syrian airspace to attack Iran, Israel places Syrians in a quandary they would rather avoid.

In a culture where hospitality is sacred, most Syrians can no longer afford to offer visitors more than a single cup of coffee. The country is grappling with a severe drought-worse than the one often linked to the 2011 uprising that now threatens 75% of wheat crops, undermining access to bread and exacerbating food insecurity.

Few Syrians long for Assad's return, but many are skeptical of his successor, Ahmed al-Sharaa. A former al-Qaeda commander, Sharaa ruled the rural province of Idlib for several years, enforcing a strict Sunni Islamist code. Although he has since moderated his stance, he remains as much an enigma as the soft-spoken, Western-educated Assad, who promised reform only to become one of the worst war criminals since World War II.