The regime forces close Morek crossing again in the northern countryside of Hama and return the trucks coming to the Syrian north
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them have closed Morek crossing in the northern countryside of Hama from one side, which connects them to areas of control of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham in the Syrian north, the closed it for the commercial traffic and civilians, while this closure comes in conjunction with returning all the trucks at the crossing to the Syrian north and not allowing them to enter, and the reasons for the closure of the crossing are still unknown until the moment, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 7th of January 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the transit of commercial transport trucks through Morek crossing in the northern countryside of Hama, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the regime forces positioned on the southern section of the crossing and Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham on the northern part of the crossing, have opened the trade movement at the crossing, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the entry of several trucks into areas of the Syrian north controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and Islamic factions, and also the movement of trucks from these areas towards regime forces’-controlled areas, and this comes after the closure of the crossing, where the Syrian Observatory published on the 19th of December 2018 a report about Morek crossing, it says: commercial traffic between areas control of the regime forces and their allies in Syria, and between the areas beyond their control has not stopped over the past years, this exchange of trade movement to and from regime forces’-controlled areas, as well as to and from areas controlled by the rebel and Islamic factions and “jihadi” factions, remained until the closure of Qal’aat al-Madiq and Morek crossings at the northern countryside of Hama and the western countryside of Hama, and the monitoring Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the movement in them both when they were opened for the benefit of both parties, and in response to their interests, where they used to operate on the principle of facilitation by both parties, and reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the commercial exchange and transit through both crossings when they were operating, were subject to taxation by the factions controlling and the regime forces in both crossings.
Morek crossing in the northern sector of the countryside of Hama is considered the most important crossing point, due to its location on Damascus – Aleppo international road, which is controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and it manages it completely, and at the time of opening the crossing Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham was in control of the crossing and manages the transit operation, terms of the introduction of trucks coming from the Syrian north towards regime forces’-controlled areas and in reverse, while intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham imposed taxes between US $300 to $500 per truck, and the tax differs according to the nature of the transported items in the truck, and in the other side; the regime receives the truck that is going to areas controlled by the opposition, imposing a tax between 200000 and one million Syrian lira, depending on the type and quantity of the goods, while reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that Morek crossing witnessed the largest commercial traffic between regime forces’-controlled areas and the areas that are out of regime’s control.
Qal’aat al-Madiq crossing comes second in terms of commercial importance in trade between areas of control of the regime forces and the factions’ controlled areas, where the crossing is located at the southern entrance of Sahl al-Ghab, along the south of al-Suqaylabiyah area which is controlled by the regime forces, and the Qal’aat al-Madiq is an important area of Shashabo Mountain, which is considered an extension of Jabal al-Zawiyah within the southern countryside of Idlib countryside, while reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the conditions of the inhabitants of Hama countryside and Idlib countryside; was affected after the closure of both crossings, just as their recovery during the opening of both crossings, where the closure of the Russians and the Regime forces has contributed to the deterioration of living conditions, as a result of stopping the commercial traffic, which both crossings witnessed, where the activeness of the commercial traffic contributed in reviving the local market and reduced the prices of foodstuffs, and also revived the economic and commercial sectors, like the trade of automobiles, motorcycles, spare parts, fuel, electronic appliances, home furniture, and other, also the southern countryside of Aleppo Province has contributed to some extent in the activity of commercial traffic, through al-Eis crossing which is controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, where the crossing is near the industrial and commercial city, and it witnessed the passage of many trucks loaded with foodstuffs, vegetables, fruits, and spare parts for cars, to and from regime forces’-controlled areas.
The closure of the crossings of Morek and Qal’aat al-Madiq caused market rigidity and a decline in sales, where the traders suffer from the lack of sufficient domestic markets to sell their goods of vegetables, fruits, and other materials, after two major arteries were closed, which used to supply areas of control of the Syrian opposition factions in the north and areas of control of the regime forces south, and the citizens complained to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the agricultural side witnessed a decline in the prices of agricultural crops of pistachios, vegetables, fruits, and other crops due to the closure of commercial crossings, which should not be exploited by any military party in order to put pressure at the other, where their closure significantly increases in the rise of food prices and the rise in rate of the money exchange, which increases the suffering of the people in the area, who are weary of the continuous war in Syria, in which they have paid so much, where most of the population live below the poverty line, which was caused by many factors like the destruction of infrastructure, unemployment, displacement, and many other factors, sources of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also complained that the closure of crossings is not the only reason for the high prices and the rigidity in the markets, but some of the crisis dealers are exploiting the current situation to carry out their goals, and make money at the expense of the people, the residents are also concerned from the continue increase of the prices as traders and factions controlling the crossing and the area continue to impose taxes on goods entering factions’ controlled areas, which is causing a dynamic rise in food and other prices, which is tiering the citizen more; and at the same time gives big profits for the merchants. Residents told the Syrian Observatory about the case of entering gas cylinders to factions’ controlled areas through Morek crossing in the summer of 2018, and selling them for doubles of their price, which showed the population the greed of the factions supervising the crossing and the greed of the traders, in collecting big profits at the expense of the citizens who become between the hammer of prices and the anvil of market rigidity and the unemployment.
Residents demanded through the Syrian Observatory to form independent service committees which have nothing to do with the factions, and take the task of supervising the crossings and monitoring the markets and prices, which are becoming a great burden over the shoulder of the population, amid a deteriorating situation is decreasing continuously instead of advancing, and the residents demanded to keep the population’s bread away of their fight over influence, and away of the greed of merchants, and to work to find a solution for this matter as it is starting to be an unbearable situation.