By Fatima Khaled
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – After receiving his salary, Hareth al-Hassan, a teacher from the city of Raqqa in northern Syria, was upset as he realized that he would not cover all his debts, not to mention the expenses for his family.
Al-Hassan started working as a teacher in one of the city’s schools three years ago. At that time, he saw it as a promising opportunity to utilize his qualifications and earn a satisfactory income.
Syrians in the areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) are enduring the worst economic crisis with record levels of food insecurity and rapidly rising prices of basic goods, but workers’ wages remain the same.
With the recent ongoing devaluation of the Syrian currency, the salary of al-Hassan and his fellow employees in the institutions of the AANES did not exceed $50.
The amount they receive falls below the poverty line set by the UN, which making less than $2.15 per day (modified from $1.9 by the World Bank in 2022).
The AANES’s employees complain about the low wages they receive, as they grapple with deteriorating living and economic conditions caused by the ongoing devaluation of the Syrian pound against the US dollar.
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 the 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.
Al-Hassan told North Press that his salary can barely cover a few days’ expenses. As a result, he is compelled to borrow money or take up additional jobs hoping to secure some necessities.
He struggles to provide for the majority of his family’s daily needs, as his salary is considered low compared to the prevailing inflation in the markets, following the significant devaluation of the Syrian pound.
The prices of most goods and services have risen in accordance with the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Syrian pound. This includes internet services, transportation, generator ampere bills, vegetables, and consumer goods.
Confronted with the worsening living situation, al-Hassan calls on the AANES to find a fundamental solution to the salary issue and make a decision to link the salaries to the US dollar.
He believes that it is unreasonable to live on a salary that does not exceed $50 while monthly expenses demand several times that amount.
Each time the local currency depreciates; the employees who are paid in Syrian pounds face hardships as they find it challenging to cope with the increasing prices, resulting in a decline in their purchasing power.
On August 2, the AANES General Council held a meeting in the city of Raqqa to discuss the impact of the currency devaluation, and one of the outcomes was the consideration of raising wages.
On July 26, a source from the AANES Finance Board told North Press that the AANES Executive Council held a meeting in Raqqa to discuss the impact of the currency devaluation. The participants reportedly agreed to fix the salaries in US dollar.
Fahd al-Hamid, 27, an employee in one of the AANES institutions, earns a salary of 520,000 SYP (about $40).
He is compelled to work as an employee due to the scarcity of job opportunities, coupled with the challenges of meeting basic living expenses and enduring economic crises in the region.
Like al-Hassan, al-Hamid also said his monthly salary is not sufficient for more than six days, a problem where all the employees are suffering from, due to the high cost of living and inflation resulting from the continuous devaluation of the Syrian pound.
He adds that it is unfair for the employees to receive their salaries in the significantly-devalued Syrian pound, while having to purchase even the most basic items from the market at the US dollar exchange rate.
Al-Hamid sees the necessity of using the US dollar instead of the Syrian pound, as this would achieve a balance between the employees’ wages and the markets’ prices.
In 2014, ISIS captured Raqqa and its countryside declaring an “Islamic Caliphate” in large swaths in several Syrian and Iraqi areas, and it announced Raqqa as the capital of its “Caliphate”. In 2016, with the participation of the US-led Global Coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced a military campaign to drive ISIS out of Raqqa and its other strongholds. In 2017, after intense battles, the SDF finally announced the complete liberation of Raqqa and its countryside. Since then, the city is run by its communities that formed the Raqqa Civil Council, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Wissam al-Eissa, 28, an employee at one of the AANES institutions, believes that it is not necessary to use the US dollar in the region. Instead, he suggests considering the salaries based on the exchange rate of the dollar.
He is forced to give up on many things and only purchase essential items due to the ongoing high prices in the markets. Additionally, traders take advantage of the pretext of the US dollar exceeding 13,000 SYP.
He also emphasizes the need to increase the salaries in proportion with the cost of living. If the situation continues as it is, many employees within the AANES will quit their jobs and pursue other opportunities.