DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Residents of Damascus, Syrian capital, say that basic food prices in the markets started to rise after the Syrian government raised the prices of fuel and bread, despite the deteriorating living conditions.
Tammam al-Walid (pseudonym), a resident of al-Zahira neighborhood, said that the decision to raise fuel prices increased his daily suffering in living because of “lack of jobs and low wages.”
He told North Press that food prices and taxi fares raised following the raise in fuel prices.
Somaya Mardini (pseudonym), mother of three children, said she is unable to provide food supplies for her house.
Mardini lost her husband in 2015 after being hit by shrapnel of a shell that landed in al-Baramkeh neighborhood in the city center of Damascus.
She added that her salary is no longer enough to feed her children, and she has to look for another job to cover the family’s expenses.
On Monday, Talal Barazi, Minister of Local Trade and Consumer Protection, said that the rise in fuel prices did not make a significant difference in the prices of food and basic items.
“I wandered the markets and found prices of only five items higher,” he said.
Imad al-Ghalib (pseudonym), owner of a food store in Damascus, said that prices of items actually raised as soon as news of the rise in fuel prices appeared on television.
He noted that some food and consumables factories reduced the weight of some packages and goods rather than raising their prices.
Al-Ghalib stressed that the price of a liter of cooking oil increased from SYP 3,400 to 3,800, and the price of a carton of a milk (half of kilogram) reached SYP 750 after it was 600.
A few days ago, a UN report warned that Syrian families will suffer more in winter, referring to a deterioration in Syrian purchasing power.
Two days ago, the Syrian government issued a decision to raise the price of bread in government bakeries from SYP 50 to 100.