The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Semalka crossing shut | Autonomous Administration areas experience crisis of stockpiling food commodities

Reliable SOHR sources have reported that Autonomous Administration areas in north and east Syria are witness a crisis of storing food commodities as residents are panic buying and stockpiling essentials like sugar, vegetable oil, margarine, rice and canned food and other supplies fearing these commodity would become unavailable on the market as a result of the government of Kurdistan Regional of Iraq (KRI) closure of Semalka crossing (Fish Khabur), which is the only humanitarian crossing that links north Syrian with the KRI areas.

SOHR has documented long queues of a large number of residents and for long hours in front of the consuming institutions to buy food commodities.

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported a lack of essential consumer products and supplies in the markets in Al-Raqqa city in light of the recent bread crisis and shortage of medicine in the past few days. Meanwhile, traders exploited these crises to stockpile products in order to gain more profit.

In addition, the traders stockpiled most of supply commodities such as sugar and flour, after the city witnessed an increase in prices of subsidized bread and medicines, while the prices of some foodstuffs and supplies increased to a level unaffordable by most of families in Al-Raqqa.

SOHR sources reported a list of the new prices of some essential products as follows:

Food supplies

• Sugar: 4,000 SYL per kilo

• Rice: 3,500 SYL per kilo

• Bulgur: 2,500 SYL per kilo

Fuel

• Diesel : 1,500 SYL per litre

• Petrol : 1,500 SYL per litre

• Gasoline: 1,200 SYL per litre

Meanwhile, the “Autonomous Administration” in north-eastern Syria established three consumer co-operative societies in the centre of Al-Raqqa to sell products at relatively low prices to counter monopoly, where these consumer societies witnessed considerable congestion, while no procedures had been adopted so far to put an end to the high prices of medicines.

On the other hand, “Health Committee” announced the start of funding and supervising Obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Al-Raqqa after suspension of support by organizations, as this step “came in line with the public interest”, as the committee described.

It is worth noting that the residents in Al-Raqqa suffer from the suspension of financial and relief support programs provided by some humanitarian organizations, while local organisations seem satisfied with holding recreational activities, psychological support projects and dialogue sessions.