DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North North) – In light of the preferential allocation of shares of heating oil to families associated with Iranian-backed factions, Jamal al-Thamer, a resident of the Syrian government-held Deir ez-Zor countryside, fears that he will not be able to obtain his allocations this year.
Last year, al-Thamer’s family did not obtain their allocations, while members of the Iranian-backed Liwa Fatemiyoun and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba received double quantities.
Members of the Iranian-backed factions in the villages of Deir ez-Zor, their stronghold in Syria, have better living conditions regarding basic services, aid, and government facilities than that of other residents.
Iranian-backed factions attract young men to join their ranks by granting them perks related to services, healthcare, residency, and jobs, according to residents.
Depriving families
Before reducing the allocations to 100 liters, the Syrian government used to distribute 200 liters of heating oil to each family residing in their areas of control.
Meanwhile, each liter of heating oil is sold at 1,200 Syrian pounds (SYP, around 0.37 USD) in stations, while it is 2,200 SYP (around 0.68 USD) on the black market, according to residents.
During July, the Syrian government issued a decision to raise price of the subsidized diesel to 500 SYP (0.15 USD) per liter; however, owners of stations and tanker trucks in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor add transportation expenses to the price, bringing it to 750 SYP (0.23 USD).
Last winter, most of residents of al-Tebni town, in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, cut down trees in order to secure firewood for heating in light of the stifling fuel crisis, al-Thamer pointed out.
Last year, heating oil was distributed only to families affiliated with the Iranian-backed pro-government factions in the town, while other families were deprived of their allocations, he added.
Last week, Iranian-backed Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Liwa Fatemiyoun, and Kata’ib Hezbollah began oil distribution to the families of their militants in the town of al- Tebni, west of Deir ez-Zor, and the cities of Abu Kamal and Mayadin, east of Deir ez-Zor, according to residents.
Only for militants
“The first batch, which is being delivered to the militants’ families, is 200 liters for each family, with a second batch to be distributed during winter,” according to residents in the town.
The distribution process is carried out by tankers belonging to SADCOP (Syrian Company for Storage and Distributing Petroleum Materials) and al-Tebni station.
“30,000 liters of diesel are delivered, according to a formal letter by the general administration of fuel in Deir ez-Zor, to Liwa Fatemiyoun and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba,” said Omar Nassif (a pseudonym), an employee in al-Tebni fuel station.
The delivered allocation was intended for residents of the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, but it was transferred to the factions provided that the distribution process be limited to the affiliated families and headquarters,” Nassif indicated.
“The administration of fuel informed them in a letter that five fuel tankers will be sent later in order to provide families of other residents with 100 liters per family,” the employee added.