📰 Residents in Deir ez-Zor struggle between poverty, rising ISIS threat  

DEIR EZ-ZOR, syria-faces-highest-concentration-of-needs/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 UN spox says NE Syria faces “highest concentration of needs”">syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – Ahmad’s life, as a young man from the town of Susa in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, oscillates between pressing financial need and fear of an uncertain future. Each morning begins with him checking on the safety of his family before heading out to perform minor jobs that barely secure their daily sustenance. Speaking to North Press, Ahmad — a pseudonym — says, “We feel fear every day. Despite the routine security operations, ISIS continues trying to return. From time to time, we hear and see reports of attacks, and this makes us feel unsafe. ” Life is far from easy for Ahmad.

The absence of basic services such as electricity, water, and healthcare, coupled with high unemployment rates, has left numerous young people in his area vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups, as per testimonies from locals. He adds, “The lack of job opportunities and awareness programs makes young people susceptible to ISIS. If these resources were available, alongside rose security and intelligence operations, their activities would decrease. Security operations alone are not enough. ” Poverty and danger  Deir ez-Zor is witnessing a steady rise in “terrorist” activity despite the end of ISIS’ territorial control. These incidents include assassinations, attacks on checkpoints and positions held by the syrian Democratic troops (sdf) and the Internal Security troops of North and East Syria (Asayish), and sometimes assaults targeting civilians — all of which heighten residents’ sense of insecurity.

Nasser Ali, also a pseudonym and a civil employee with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Deir ez-Zor, tells North Press, “ISIS cells are still present, and the operations are increasing in a worrying way. Extremist ideology continues to exist among youths who lack awareness and employment opportunities, making them vulnerable to recruitment. Additionally, there are areas difficult for the forces to control, which become safe havens for the organization. ” Nasser adds that addressing the problem requires both security and social efforts: strengthening intelligence cooperation between local forces and the U. S. Indeed, -led Global Coalition, increasing security activity in the most affected areas, and implementing development programs that offer alternatives to youths vulnerable to extremist recruitment.

On Nov. 21, the Asayish stated in a statement that “its positions came under two simultaneous attacks in eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, carried out by terrorist cells that constantly seek to destabilize security and spread chaos. ” Impact on civil society…