“Salary is not enough for buying even a chicken” and “we have not had meat for three years” | Popular discontent grows in Tartus and entire regime-controlled areas over low income and unaffordable prices
Regime-controlled areas throughout Syria are experiencing ongoing popular discontent due to the recent economic hardship, while regime authorities are totally unable to reach proper solution to put an end to the worsening crisis.
In this context, Syrian Observatory activists have monitored popular discontent in Tartus city over the unaffordable prices of all essentials, particularly meat and chicken. In a video interview by SOHR with a civilian in Tartus talking about his poor living condition said “I am not able to buy even a piece of meat. If I had enough money, I would go to the butcher’s every day and buy meat.”
“No one has ability to buy meat, and the salary is not enough for buying even a chicken. We can manage without meat,” a woman told SOHR.
Another civilian said “I have not bought meat for three years,” hinting at the unaffordable prices of meat, as lamb is sold in regime-controlled areas for 18,000 to 21,000 SYL per kilo, which equals a large share of the salary of an employee in regime government departments. Meanwhile, beef/veal is sold for 12,500 to 16,000 SYL per kilo and chicken is sold for 5,700 to 6,200 SYL per kilo.
SOHR has listed the prices of some essentials in regime-controlled areas as follows:
- Eggs: 4,800 to 5,100 SYL per pack
- Ghee: 1,000 to 1,300 SYL per kilo
- Butter: 3,800 to 4,100 SYL per kilo
- Milk: 3,400 to 4,500 SYL per litre
- Cheese: 6,000 SYL per kilo
- Tomatoes: 800 to 1,900 SYL per kilo
- Cucumber: 600 to 1,500 SYL per kilo.
It is worth noting that the prices of these commodities always change because of the unstable exchange rate of the Syrian pound against foreign currency, as well as the lack of surveillance by regime authorities on markets and merchants.
It is worth noting that the Syrian pound against the US dollar recorded 2,810 SYL, while the Syrian pound against the Euro recorded 3,401 SYL. Also, the exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the Turkish lira has risen to 358 TL. Moreover, the price of 21 carat gold reached 148,500 SYL per gram.