Manbij – North-Press Agency
Saddam al-Hassan
Despite the exception of its stores from the lockdown, the selling of pastries and Ramadan drinks decreased this year in the city of Manbij, northeast of Aleppo, affected by factors related to living conditions and weather changes this year, causing some residents to describe pastries and Ramadan drinks as luxuries that can be dispensed with.
Mohammed Taljabini, owner of a pastry shop in Manbij, said that residents' demand for Ramadan pastries and drinks has remained relatively low this year despite the risk of an outbreak of coronavirus and the ban imposed in the city, noting the role of the administration's response to their demand to open pastry and sweet shops ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
He added that despite the relatively high prices, they did not exceed the level of the basic materials for making pastries, such as flour, yeast, and sugar. He said: "Currently we sell brioche (Maarouk) at 800 Syrian pounds, while its price in the past year was 500 Syrian pounds."
The Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria imposed a lockdown in its areas starting last March 23, which covers all shops, including sweet and pastry shops, to allow for the extension of the lockdown for the second time on the 21st of April to open sweet shops, which coincided with the approach of Ramadan.
The Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria extended the lockdown period for the third time on 30 April for ten days, starting from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day, and during this period all shops, professions, and markets are opened, except for cafes, restaurants, cafeterias, places of worship, schools, and universities, which remain closed during the ban.
Nidal Masror, owner of a licorice and tamarind stall in Manbij, said that the demand for Ramadan drinks this year is low compared to previous years. "I think that because prices are somewhat higher, as well as weather fluctuations, people are reluctant to buy drinks."
The rise in temperatures usually affects the selling of cold Ramadan drinks, but the temperature is lower than normal by about 2-4 degrees Celsius; the weather is partly cloudy in general with the chance of showers, especially in the northwestern region and al-Jazira, according to the Syrian Directorate General of Meteorology.
Masror added that this year he had to replace the shop with a stall because of the expensive rent fares. They have to work to make a living, "we work from dawn to sunset to finally secure our food expenses," he said.
The prices of Ramadan drinks have almost doubled this year. The price of one liter of licorice or tamarind in Manbij reached 300 Syrian pounds, while it was sold at 150 Syrian pounds last year, according to Ramadan drinks sellers in Manbij.
Fouad Abdin, a resident of the city of Manbij and breadwinner for a family of six, said that the goal of any family this year is to secure the basic meal of Iftar. "It is possible to skip out on drinks or pastries that are considered luxuries for most families," he said.
He added that he works for a daily wage of no more than 3000 Syrian pounds, and if he buys drinks and pastries in Ramadan, he will not be able to provide Iftar and suhoor meals to his family members.
Abdin said: "The cost of the Iftar table for a medium-sized family this year is around 5000 Syrian pounds on average, even if the meals are normal and do not contain fatty foods, and a large deficit appears when comparing my daily wage and food costs."