Solnar Muhammad
Concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus and the subsequent precautionary measures have affected the daily life of the population in northeastern Syria, as markets have closed and commercial activity has been paralyzed in the region since the last third of March.
The easing of measures and allowance for the opening of some sectors, especially commercial ones, has been a relief for the majority of the population, especially after the markets' movement returned to almost normal.
Ferushah Saleem, a clothing seller in the Derik market, said: "The closure for a month and ten days resulted in material loaa, especially to those who work in stores and pay monthly rent."
The city's clothing shop owners re-opened their shops, within specific times starting from 6:00 am until 3:00 pm, after more than five weeks of closure in compliance with the lockdown imposed by the Autonomous Administration in March.
Saleem described the decision to partially re-open the shops as "good," especially with the demand for Eid al-Fitr and the need for residents to obtain basic necessities.
Earlier, on Thursday, the Autonomous Administration announced the extension of the ban period to May 10th, due to the detection of three infections in its areas of control, in conjunction with the easing of the lockdown procedures which negatively affected the lives of the population.
This easing benefits traders who rely on seasonal sales, such as the owners of clothing and shoe stores, whose goods may be subject to recession after the season ends, as well as sellers who pay rent for the shops in which they work.
Jiwan Mahmoud, a clothing seller in Derik, said the period of the ban was "long" and his winter goods were no longer desired by consumers after the summer season. He described the decision to partially lift the ban on the opening of shops as "good", especially as they are on the verge of Eid al-Fitr.
"The prices rose remarkably, as the price of one piece increased by 1,500 Syrian pounds compared to what it was before the lockdown," Mahmoud added.
The Syrian pound is witnessing a continuous decline in its value against the US dollar, as the exchange rate of one dollar reached 1,295 Syrian pounds on Saturday, while it was 1,175 Syrian pounds before the announcement of the ban. This led to a noticeable rise in the prices of goods, food, and basic necessities.
On the other hand, some sellers consider the lockdown decision to have been in their favor, as the prices of goods increased, especially as the Eid al-Fitr season will allow them to sell their goods. Some others complain that the goods they ordered have not arrived due to the lockdown.
Abdullah Sofi, a clothing seller, also said that the lockdown was "necessary" in order to fight the epidemic, but at the same time, the lockdown measures affected them negatively because they requested goods which have not arrived due to the closure of the roads.
But he made it clear that a large part of his winter merchandise remained stored in his shop and its sale will be delayed until next year, and that his loss "will not exceed that," as the owner of the store who rented it exempted him from paying for two months.
"Some sellers pay rent to the owners of the shops, and they are not exempted from payment. I will work in my shop with more caution, and I will try not to gather with my neighbors from the sellers," he said.