In light of dollar rising, Aleppo residents complain poor living conditions
Aleppo – Zein Hussein – North-Press Agency
The high cost of living in Aleppo, the low price of the Syrian pound against the high exchange rate of the dollar which exceeded 600 SYP per dollar and the stability of wages are all problems hinder the citizens to live a stable life in areas controlled by the Syrian government which forces them to get any profession besides their jobs to provide the most important needs and requirements of their families.
Extra work
Mahmoud Abdullah, a retired civil servant lives in Aleppo, tells “North Press” that “The salary we receive comparing with high prices is not enough for more than ten days, for example, I have three children and my pension is 50.000 SYP, about $80, and this is not enough for our rented house by 40.000 SYP per month.”
“Our salaries have not increased since 2016, where 7.500 SYP were added to the compensation for living by a decision issued by President Bashar al-Assad at that time. However, the Syrian government has not made an objective study about this matter so far, so I was obliged to work on a taxi to help my family and provide money for my children,” Abdullah added.
Salary equal to $100
In his turn, Ahmad al-Ahmad, an employee at the teaching staff at a school in Aleppo, also complained that the salary he and his wife get, isn’t enough for their living and requirements, as he has five children, all of them are students in schools and in the university.
Al-Ahmad continues saying that his salary is 42.000 SYP and his wife’s salary is 38.000, this means that their total salaries does not exceed $133, while their salaries were approximately $1,000 before the start of the Syrian crisis.
Expatriate help
Al-Ahmad’s family, like most families who have children abroad, relies mainly on their children who have been expatriate for five years in the diaspora to help them. He added while laughing, that the Syrian government issued a decision to give 50.000 SYP as a loan for each employee to buy the needs of Eid al-Adha and after that, he will give them back via installment which is over 10 months, wondering, “How will the employee manage his affairs in case of discount, later?”
According to World Bank data, the total foreign remittances to Syria last year was about $1.62 billion. According to experts, the majority of the Syrian population remain at home, depend mainly on foreign remittances because it needs seven times the average of the salary in order to live a rather dignified life.