For the residents of Douma, the daily struggle to survive involves not just avoiding the violence that has ravaged the Syrian town, but laboring to obtain scarce basic commodities Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Top News @Reuters, 8 May 2017

Besieged Syrians make fuel from plastic waste: Bassam Khabieh / Mark Hanrahan, Reuters, 8 May 2017

For residents of besieged Douma, the daily struggle to survive involves not just avoiding the violence that has ravaged the Syrian town, but labouring to obtain scarce basic commodities.

Facing a shortage of fuel to run generators and machinery due to the siege, former construction worker Abu Kassem set up a makeshift refinery to extract fuel from plastic waste through a process of burning them and condensing the released gas.

It is a gruelling process.

"There is no pleasure in our work. It is very dangerous and requires a lot of caution. When I see that the equipment's situation is stable, I can take a little rest and smoke the hookah," said Abu Fahad, 28, one of Abu Kassem's sons.

The workshop - which employs Kassem's three sons and other relatives - has operated for some three and a half years, since government forces began their siege of rebel-held eastern Ghouta, a district on the outskirts of the Syrian capital where Douma is located.

As the siege intensified, severe fuel shortages began to hamper agriculture, transport and other activities, so Abu Kassem began searching for a way around the problem.

Using methods learned from instructional videos posted on the internet, the family takes plastic bottles, rubble from damaged buildings, plastic from cooking utensils, water and even sewage pipes to produce liquid and gas fuels.

The liquid is refined into gasoline, diesel and benzene fuels, and the gasses obtained are sold for domestic and commercial use in place of natural gas.

The fuels are then sold to customers, including bakeries, farmers who need fuel to power water pumps and consumers for use in cars and motorcycles.

For those who toil in the workshop, the environment leaves much to be desired. Smoke billows from fires and generators, and the fumes from burning plastic hang ever-present in the air.

"Working here is very tiring, but we feel that we are providing a great service to people. I have been working here for a short time and have begun to adapt to the atmosphere here," said Abu Ahmed, 28, another of the workers.

The workshop operates 15 hours a day, six days a week, and workers' only protection against the effects of inhaling the polluted air caused by burning plastic is advice from some to drink two cups of milk a day to try to offset the effects. The efficacy of the treatment is uncertain.

A day's work will see 800 kg to 1,000 kg of plastic used in the workshop, where 100 kg of plastic makes approximately 85 litres of fuel.

A litre of benzene fuel sells for 2,200 Syrian pound ($4.70), and a litre of diesel for 2,000 Syrian pounds.

Local residents are grateful.

"When the siege began on eastern Ghouta at the end of 2013 fuel prices rose madly and we were no longer able to water crops as in the past," Abu Firas, 33, an agricultural worker in the district told Reuters. "When we started producing local fuel, and that water engines could be powered by this fuel, ... life returned to agricultural land."

Smoke billows from fires and generators, and the fumes from burning plastic hang ever-present in the air. Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

"When I see that the equipment's situation is stable, I can take a little rest and smoke the hookah," said Abu Fahad. Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

For those who toil in the workshop, the environment leaves much to be desired. Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

'There is no pleasure in our work. It is very dangerous and requires a lot of caution.' said Abu Fahad Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

The family takes plastic bottles, rubble from damaged buildings, plastic from cooking utensils, water and even sewage pipes to produce liquid and gas fuels. Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

The liquid is refined into gasoline, diesel and benzene fuels, and the gasses obtained are sold for domestic and commercial use in place of natural gas. Photo @BassamKhabieh: image via Reuters Pictures, 8 May 2017

#Douma, Syria 1 April 2017: image via Bassam Khabieh @BassamKhabieh, 3 April 2017

Schoolchildren walk in the rebel held besieged #Douma neighbourhood of #Damascus, #Syria March 8, 2017. #REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh: image via Bassam Khabieh @BassamKhabieh, 8 March 2017

A man walks inside a damaged school in besieged city of #Douma, in eastern #Damascus, #Syria March 3, 2017. #REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh: image via Bassam Khabieh @BassamKhabieh, 3 March 2017

A damaged classroom is pictured in besieged #Douma, in eastern #Damascus suburb of #Ghouta, Syria March 2, 2017. #REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh: image via Bassam Khabieh @BassamKhabieh, 3 March 2017

A damaged model of planets is pictured inside a damaged school in #Douma, near #Damascus, #Syria March 2, 2017 #REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh: image via Bassam Khabieh @BassamKhabieh, 3 March 2017

Ferry across the Tigris

A child cries onboard a ferry to cross the Tigris River, Friday, May 5, 2017. Mosul residents are returning from the west to the liberated eastern part of the city. The government fight against Islamic State fighters for Mosul's west has been slow and deadly to Iraqi forces and civilians caught in the crossfire.: photo by Bram Janssen/AP, 5 May 2017

Running from the evil

#Venezuela Protesters protect themselves behind a shield in clashes with police during a march against Maduro in #Caracas By @jbarreto1974: image via Photojournalism @photojournalink, 8 May 2017

Bolivarian National Guards block students attempting to march to the Education Ministry amid tear gas in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 8, 2017. The protest movement against President Nicolas Maduro, that has drawn masses of people into the streets nearly every day since March, has left some three dozen dead.: photo by Fernando Llano/AP, 8 May 2017

Masked students run from tear gas during an opposition march in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 8, 2017. The protest movement against President Nicolas Maduro, that has drawn masses of people into the streets nearly every day since March, has left some three dozen dead.: photo by Ariana Cubillos/AP, 8 May 2017

Love (Dreaming the Faces of Death)

In the battle to achieve success with a fickle buying public
Through the creation of a free market artistic product
The only purpose of which is to express feelings
The main weapon is the concentration of effects

The forcing and piling up of events and layers
Loads the product with a dense opaque texture
At once shielding the emptiness at the core from view
And deceiving the credulous as to what's

Actually going on here in the toxic fuming workshop