Syrians in Idlib strained by black market currency fall Syrians in the opposition holdout of Idlib are straining from a plummeting Syrian pound, whose value briefly nosedived last week to a new black-market low of 1,000 to the dollar. The beleagured currency, which was at 48 to the dollar in 2011 when the country's war broke out, has seen a sharp drop in recent months. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES