Deir Ballout crossing | HTS clamp down on civilian movement, while children turn to smuggling goods and fuel

As Turkish lira continues plummeting against foreign currencies, areas under the control of Tahrir al-Sham and factions are experiencing a severe economic hardship.

Further worsening the situation, Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham continues to prevented the entry of fuel and foodstuffs from the Aleppo countryside into areas under its control because Watad Petroleum company run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stockpiles fuels and controls Petroleum market in HTS-held areas.

Watad imports fuel from Turkish-backed factions in Aleppo countryside and Turkey. The Petroleum company manipulates prices, as fuel prices in Tahrir Al-Sham-held areas are different from Aleppo countryside areas which are under the control of National Army and Turkish forces.

Moreover, Tahrir Al-Sham has set up a roadblock that force people to wait in long lines for hours in order to cross Deir Ballout checkpoint, which links HTS-held areas and areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions near Atma border area with Iskenderun.

As a part of its repression, HTS thoroughly checks and searches cars and prevents anyone from entering even small amounts of fuel or foodstuffs for the purpose of trading with a fine of more than US $50 in case they find fuel, food, and other items in the passengers’ possession.

On the other hand, children under the age of ten have turned to smuggle fuel and some food into Idlib, after midnight, from Deir Ballout town which is under the control of the National Army in Afrin countryside.

With HTS “forbidding” residents to bring anything to Idlib, traders have exploited children to bring goods and fuel at night. These child could bring approximately 40 litres of diesel in return for a profit of 40 Turkish lire, which does not exceed three US dollars.

Although children risk their safety and life while smuggling these goods due to direct gunfire by members of Tahrir Al-Sham, if detected, they provide a major source of income for many families, especially since these children had dropped out of schools.