Bread crisis exacerbated in Syria’s Damascus amid absence of solutions by government

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The bread crisis in the city of Damascus and its countryside continues to worsen, amid the absence of serious solutions to the problem by the Syrian government.

The current crisis is the most severe in the history of Syria, as residents are forced to stand for hours in long queues in order to get one or two bundles of bread.    

Last week, Deputy Minister of Internal Trade of the Syrian government, Jamal Shu’ayb, stated that the overcrowding in front of the bakeries would “recede within the next few days.”

However, “Shu’ayb” did not mention at the time, the mechanism that the government will follow to solve the worsening bread crisis.

Last month, the government raised the price of a bundle of bread by 100%, as the selling price increased from 50 Syrian pound (SYP) to 100 SYP, while reducing its weight from 1,300 kg to 1,100 kg.

In a statement to the pro-Syrian government al-Watan newspaper, Talal al-Barazi, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection of the Syrian government, said that there are sufficient quantities of wheat and flour to cover Syria’s needs.  

Last Tuesday, the Syrian government announced the completion of a study of the possibility of delivering bread to the designated segment by one bundle every two days via the smart electronic card.

Despite the government’s statements, the problem continues to worsen and many private bakeries continue to close due to a shortage of flour.  

Residents in Damascus talk about a price range of a bundle of bread from 750 SYP to 1,200 SYP in the black market.