Prolonged crisis drives up divorce rate in Syria

Divorce rate has gone up 45 percent and marriage rate has dropped over 40 percent in Syria since the outbreak of mass protests against the government almost two years ago, according to a recent survey by local media. In constant conflicts between the rebels and the government forces, divorced Syrians are set to outnumber married ones soon, the survey indicated. The figures signify a watershed for major changes in the social lives of Syrians, who live in a country plagued by violence and burdened by spiralling inflation and unemployment. Maha, a 35-year-old housewife, said her marriage was falling apart as her family suffered from the 23-month-old crisis. "My husband has been provoking quarrels with me for the most trivial things, apparently in an attempt to drive me to file for divorce," she told Xinhua. The mother of three kids said things had been smooth with her husband, who used to work 10 hours a day to support his family, but shortly after the outbreak of the crisis, "our economy started to deteriorate and he eventually lost his job." She said that her husband tried hard to find another job but only in vain, adding that nobody could help them as the crisis was affecting all Syrians alike. Also, according to the survey, some couples file for divorce for reasons that had been nonexistent before the crisis. There are people divorcing their spouses for holding different opinions on whether or not to support President Bashar al-Assad. In the meantime, the survey revealed marriages are on an appalling decline in Syria particularly during the last 10 months of the crisis. "I think we are on the cusp of seeing marriage becoming less central to our life course and in framing the lives of our nation' s children," said Ayham, a 35-year-old accountant. He said Syrians now prefer to wait a little longer before getting married due to the ongoing crisis, which rendered many people unable to afford a house or support their family.