By Layla al-Garib
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – It is difficult to find a realistic answer to the perplexing question of how a Syrian family can meet its basic needs when a single falafel sandwich is all they can afford with an average employee’s salary.
How can one support a single child with less than $13 per month? This amount is expected to cover not only the basic needs of the child but also the utility bills for phone, electricity, and water service.
These services have seen an increase in cost by the government following the depreciation of the local currency – the Syrian pound – but workers’ wages remain the same.
The Syrian pound has seen a significant devaluation over the past three weeks, with the exchange rate of one US dollar rising from 9,000 to over 13,000 SYP, marking a historic collapse.
The loss of value of the currency has led to soaring prices of goods and services, making it increasingly difficult for people to afford basic necessities. The devaluation has significantly eroded people’s purchasing power.
Due to Need
During the current state of near-complete economic collapse in the country, it has become increasingly common to find people offering their household furniture, clothes, or anything that can have value for sale to secure an additional income that can help them cover basic life necessities.
Instead of using the phrase “Due to Travel” that was previously employed by those wishing to sell their homes or furniture, some individuals now opt for the phrase “Due to Need” when offering their belongings for sale. This broader category of items for sale may include an old iron, personal clothing, a heater, and other items of furniture.
People even started selling their children’s belongings such as toys and clothes; this trend has gained traction through viral posts on social media groups advertising the sale of children’s toys.
In addition, high school students are offering their textbooks for sale, especially after the Ministry of Education’s decision to increase book prices and impose restrictions on the free distribution of new books in the primary education stage.
In an interview with North Press, an English teacher said that he takes on a second job as a taxi driver, sharing the earnings with the vehicle’s owner. He explained that without this additional job, he would have been compelled to send his children to work on the streets.
The teacher’s monthly salary amounts to approximately 130,000 SYP ($10), a sum that falls short of covering basic food expenses.
He repeatedly employs the terms “incomprehensible” and “strange” as he talks about the baffling situation where a full month’s salary falls short of covering the cost of a falafel sandwich on a daily basis.
He emphasizes that priorities have shifted, saying they have forgotten about “luxuries” like meat and new clothes, stressing that their solely new focus revolves around securing food.
After a brief silence, he said, “Despite having found an additional job, I still struggle to secure basic necessities. This makes me wonder about the situation of those who are unable to find any other job or lack an alternative source of income.”
Below extreme poverty line
Poverty line is making less than $2.15 per day (modified from $1.9 by the World Bank in 2022). This means that Syrian workers are well below the extreme poverty line; even the highest-paying jobs do not provide an income that exceeds $0.5 per day.
An economic researcher explained to North Press that UN statistics indicate that 90 percent of Syrians live below this line. The country’s economy has deteriorated to the point of complete collapse, with the government shirking its responsibilities and leaving its people to face their own destinies.
The country is experiencing an unprecedented inflation crisis, where wages are virtually negligible. This situation poses a real threat in terms of food insecurity to those who does not have a secondary job, does not receive remittances from abroad, or are unable to find an avenue for illicit income, he noted.
He emphasized that the most distressing aspect of the situation is not the government and all state institutions abandoning their responsibilities, but rather transforming into profit-driven merchants, whose sole focus is their financial gains.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the government has increased its service fees despite being well aware that they have become unaffordable for the majority of workers, if not all.
Furthermore, it has persisted to cut off services to those who fail to pay their utility bills before deadline, which was not the case previously.
“As a result, people are left with no option but to sell their household furniture and even their clothes in order to survive,” the researcher said.
He sarcastically remarks, “It seems the government has achieved an economic objective that even developed nations are still striving for: the circular economy. They must be commended for their efforts to minimize waste within government institutions and maximize the reuse of all production-related byproducts.”
According to the researcher, the current situation goes beyond any reasonable economic thinking. There is a lack of noticeable initiatives, regardless of how modest, aimed at improving people’s conditions, there is no expectation for genius solutions, as it has become evident that no one is genuinely concerned about them.
Furthermore, the researcher emphasizes that for years, they have been asserting that “the state’s treasury lies within the pockets of its citizens.” Initially, this phrase was meant metaphorically, indicating that a nation’s wealth is determined by the prosperity of its citizens. However, today, that phrase has taken on a literal meaning. State institutions are taking from the pockets of citizens, leaving them engaged in a daily struggle for survival, focusing only on securing the most basic life necessities, such as food and clothing.
Massive inflation
Economist Rasha Serob stated in an interview with a local newspaper that the inflation rate has skyrocketed during the crisis years and even this current year, reaching more than 16,137 percent, which means that prices have increased by 161 folds compared to the beginning of 2011 before the war. In contrast, wages have only increased 10 times since the start of the crisis, which falls significantly short of the price hike.
Serob described the inflation in the country as massive.
She highlights that the most affected commodities in terms of price hikes are food, non-alcoholic drinks, utilities, and other household necessities. These items collectively account for approximately 75 percent of the average household’s expenditure. These insights are based on data provided by the Central Bank of Syria.