Looming crisis | Acute shortage of fuel affects civilians and services in Damascus

A crisis is looming across Syria, especially in regime-controlled areas, as markets in most of the Syrian provinces have run out of basic sources of energy, including diesel, petrol, electricity and gas cylinder.

 

With the beginning of winter, the chronic and successive crises in Damascus and Rif Dimashq have badly impacted the already deteriorating services and transportation and make civilians and farmers shoulder extra burdens.

 

In this context, SOHR sources have reported that the rate-setting committee in Damascus has issued a decision increasing the price of electricity to 300 up to 400 SYP in light of the acute shortage of fuels. The new increase has led to increasing the prices of all products in those provinces, while the price of fertilisers has been doubled. Meanwhile, the Syrian telecom company has suspended work because of the lack of fuel needed to operating power generators, putting several telephone exchange centres out of service.

 

On the other hand, SOHR sources have reported public anger in light of the mishandling of the frequent and chronic crises in regime-controlled areas.

 

Speaking to SOHR, a civilian known by his initials as A. B. from Damascus says that the diesel and petrol allocations in Damascus have been deducted to only one-quarter of the total amount, at a time when diesel and petrol are available on black markets but at high prices. The man says, “on black markets, petrol is sold for 11,000 SYP per litre, while diesel is sold for 6,500 SYP a litre. Fuels are distributed according to nepotism, as many families in Damascus have not received the first batch of diesel allowances allocated for this year; let alone the crisis of household gas. The crisis has affected most of the Syrian provinces.”

 

On the other hand, a woman known as S. H. has told SOHR that residents in Damascus are suffering from the lack of medicines, while no solutions are looming in the horizon still. The woman calls upon humanitarian organisations to pay more attention to the situation of civilians and highlight their plight in order to reach workable solutions to the chronic crises which Syrian civilians are struggling with.

 

It is worth noting that all zones of influence across the entire Syrian geography experience lack of basic essentials, amid authorities mishandling of crises.