As food prices increase | Severe shortage in alternative heating materials in NW Syria

Markets of Idlib city and countryside have been suffering, for a few days, from severe shortage of most of alternative heating materials used by residents of north Syria for years due to high prices of fuels, where markets witnessed shortage of high-quality pistachio shells, hazelnut shells and pyrene, amid a huge increase in prices in the last few days, along with a wave of harsh cold weather hitting the area.

 

SOHR activists monitored almost-complete lack of high-quality pistachio shells, hazelnut shells and pyrene in Al-Dana, Deir Hassan, Kafr Lucien and Sarmada villages that are crowded with refugee camps. These materials can be found in limited quantities in specific markets, but they are sold for prohibitively highly priced, where the current prices have increased by 30% higher than before, further burdening civilians, especially displaced ones, as they are in acute need to get heating materials in the wake of the ongoing low-pressure weather front which has been battering the region for four days.

 

SOHR activists documented the prices of some heating materials that are lacking from Idlib markets, and they are as follows:

 

• High-quality pistachio shells are sold for 4.4 Turkish liras per kilo or for 295 USD per ton.

 

• Hazelnut shells are sold for 3.50 Turkish liras per kilo or for 235 USD per ton.

 

• A 50–kilogram-bag of coal is sold for nearly 160 Turkish liras.

 

• A 50–kilogram-bag of pyrene is sold for nearly 180 Turkish liras.

 

Speaking to SOHR, a merchant known by his initials as A. A. trading in alternative heating materials in Armanaz in the northern countryside of Idlib says, “the shortage of alternative materials used for heating from markets and their high prices, if found, are attributed to several factors, including decline of imports by major importers from Turkey through “Bab Al-Hawa” crossing due to the high cost of teleportation, storage, taxes and other reasons.”

 

He adds, “these factors led to huge shortage of such materials. When merchants demand huge amounts of shells from importers they are given the shells for very high prices; this, in turn, forces the merchants to increase prices further to raise their profits, which led to the current state of high prices. The main reason behind this paradox is the decline of imports from Turkey.”

 

A. A. also explains, “there are other factors manifested in as the instable value of the Turkish lira against the USD, high prices of fuels, poor weather conditions and the repercussions of the economic crises in Turkey and north Syria region as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Currently efforts are underway to import large amounts of heating materials from Turkey following the increasing demand by residents in north Syria. I did not stockpile heating materials or store them. However, they were sold out a few days ago due to the high demand, it was the same case in several shops, as most of these materials were sold out. Some merchants stockpiled heating materials for sure, but this is not the main reason behind this problem.”

 

On the other hand, civilians believe that the merchants’ practices are the main reason behind the severe shortage of alternative heating materials, and that most of merchants stockpile them to sell them at higher prices when the weather gets colder, similar to the case of sugar crisis a few days ago.

 

Another man known by his initials as A. M. who has been displaced with his family from west Hama countryside to a camp in Deir Hassan in the northern countryside of Idlib tells SOHR, “the merchants follow weather forecasts and know about the low-pressure weather front which has been battering the region for days, so they stockpiled alternative heating materials as they know that most of civilians have recently turned to use pistachio shells-burner stoves and will buy the shells whatever the prices are. Merchants have been taking advantage of the current situation to make larger profits by increasing prices.”

 

A. M. adds, “most families haven’t stored huge amounts of shells in their houses or camps since winter started, as they could not pay for a huge amount at once, where they rather buy bags of less amounts whenever they have enough money for these bags. Accordingly, people were shocked by the recent increase in prices, amid their urgent need for these materials. Most of camps have not received support from humanitarian organisations which had been supposed to provide heating materials for displaced civilians in camps to help them endure the cold weather and harsh living and financial conditions. This has worsened the suffering of families especially those in refugee camps with their inability to buy heating materials even if they were available.”

 

The displaced man also called upon merchants to help civilians in this cold wave and to do their best to provide these materials for suitable prices, and appealed to humanitarian organisations to provide urgent support to displaced civilians who have suffered from high prices amid their sufferings inside the camps which lack the basic necessities of life.”

 

Idlib city and countryside suffer from crisis of high prices of food supplies such as sugar, flour and cooking oil, along with acute shortage of these products in markets, despite promises by the “Salvation Government” in Idlib to improve conditions and provide sugar for reasonable prices.

 

On February 26, the Salvation Government issued a resolution determining the price of one kilogram of sugar for 90 American Cents, however its shortage from markets led to the increase of its price in some areas to 20 Turkish Liras for one kilogram.

 

Areas of the Syrian north have been witnessing a wave of cold weather since March 10, where an extreme air storm hit the area along with rain and snowfall causing damages in displacement camps. Moreover, the cold weather increased the need of civilians in the Syrian north for alternative heating materials which were used instead of fuels for several years.

 

It is worth noting that “Watad for Petroleum” company, which is accused of “being affiliated to HTS”, has monopolized all kinds of fuels in Idlib areas and control their prices, where the prices of fuels have largely increased recently in comparison to their prices two months ago.

 

According to the company, the price of a litre of gasoline reached nearly 17 Turkish Liras, the price of a litre of diesel reached nearly 15 Turkish Liras and a gas cylinder reached nearly 188 Turkish Liras.