Reportage
In Syria, record inflation plunges the population into a catastrophic situation
Audio 01:28
A market in the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamichli in October 2019 (illustrative image).
AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In question, twelve years of conflict, international sanctions against the regime and the Lebanese financial crisis which also affects this neighboring country.
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With our special correspondents in Qamichli,
Murielle Paradon
and
Julien Boileau
A few rare customers roam the muddy streets of the Qamichli market in northeastern Syria.
It is cold and Gulbahar, a mother wearing a headscarf, wants to buy woolen gloves.
But she hesitates because of the exorbitant prices.
“
I came to the market to buy gloves for my children, but it's too expensive, I can't.
Salaries are very low.
Everyone is worried about the catastrophic economic situation, life is so hard!
“, she laments.
Prices have soared since the Syrian pound hit its lowest level in December: 6,000 pounds to the dollar on the informal market.
Ahmed, a phone repairman, laments in front of a food stall.
“
All prices are pegged to the dollar and the dollar keeps going up as the Syrian pound plummets.
The prices go up, but my salary does not increase!
»
In a Qamichli exchange office, many hope to buy dollars to avoid losing money, in vain.
The stockbroker Khaled is not very optimistic.
"
I think the Syrian economy is dead, it should be strengthened, but it's not in our power
," he laments.
Khaled shows us banknotes with the face of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
printed on them .
Because of him, he says, nothing is going well in the country.
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Syria
Economy
Bashar al-Assad