“Victory to Russia – We support Russia” | Photos of Putin fill Damascus streets supporting Russia against Ukraine
SOHR activists have reported that Damascus Industry champers and its countryside expressed its support to the Russian army, which has attacked Ukraine since February 24, by placing banners in the capital Damascus of the Russian president “Vladimir Putin” and read “We support Russia – Victory to Russia – Right prevails.”
This comes in light of the economic crisis in regime-held areas, which started with the war between Russia and Ukraine, manifested as shortage in essential goods and medicine from markets and higher prices, in addition to collapse of the Syrian Lira against the foreign currencies.
SOHR activists reported that foodstuff and basic materials prices fluctuated significantly and dramatically increased in regime-held areas, Syrian lira collapsed against foreign currencies and some medicines became unavailable in the markets, affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and economic sanctions imposed on Russia, the ally of Bashar Al-Assad and his regime.
According to Syrian Observatory activists, markets in regime-held areas saw a significant decline in sales, following the rise in all foodstuff prices and the lack of some of them such as sugar and edible oils.
Drug prices rose by up to 50% and some medicines became unavailable in pharmacies such as Brufen and some chronic disease medications for heart patients, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, coronary artery disease and other chronic disease drugs.
Moreover, the infant formula crisis worsened and exaggerated in Syrian pharmacies, the price of some varieties has risen, and other varieties have become unavailable permanently.
SOHR sources prepared a list of the new prices of essential products in regime-controlled areas as follows:
Food supplies
• Sugar: 3700 SYL \ 0.96 USD per kilo
• Egyptian rice: 5,200 SYL / 1,349 USD per kilo
• Spanish rice: 4,300 SYL / 1.115 USD per kilo
• Kabsa rice: 6,100 SYL / 1,582 USD per kilo
• Bulgur: 4,200 SYL / 1.089 USD per kilo
• Chickpeas: 5,600 SYL \ 1.453 USD per kilo
• Black lentils: 4000 SYL \ 1.038 USD per kilo
• Milled Lentil: 4,500 SYL \ 1.167 USD per kilo
• Olive oil tin: 240000 SYL \ 62,257 USD per kilo
• Oil for frying ranges from 13000 to 14500 SYL \ 3.372 – 3.761 USD
• Milk: 2300 SYL \ 0.597 USD per kilo
• Cow ghee: 19000 SYL \ 4.929 USD per kilo
• Cheese:12,500 SYL \ 3.243 USD per kilo
• Egg: 13000 SYL \ 3.372 USD
Meat
• Raw chicken: 10,500 SYL/ 2.724 USD per kilo
• Lamb: 33000 SYL/ 8.56 USD per kilo
• Veal:27000 SYL/ 7.004 USD per kilo
Fuel
• Petrol: ranges from 4000-5000 SYL/1.038-1.297 USD per litre
• Diesel: ranging from 2800 to 3500 SYL/0.726 – 0.908 USD per litre
Exchange rate of Syrian lira against foreign currency
• USD: 3,815 purchases – 3,855 sales
• Euro: 4,225 Buys – 4,275 Sales
It is worth noting that the prices of basic materials and fuel vary and change from region to region due to the unstable exchange rate of the Syrian lira and the monopoly by traders on certain food commodities, in addition to the levies paid by traders to the regime forces stationed at checkpoints, which contribute to raising prices.