He arrived at the mezze bakery in the Syrian capital, Damascus, since six o'clock in the morning. From fuel to bread that is no longer readily available in all Syrian governorates that live under the authority of the Syrian regime.
Raise the price
He could not get what he wanted from the bread before the three and a half hours he spent in the queue, as Yasser Al-Sarhan says during his interview with Al-Jazeera Net that this period, which is considered very long in other countries, is medium or normal in Damascus during the new crisis of bread. The quantities of bread that he can obtain are limited to two or three, using what is known as the "smart card" exclusively.
As for the price, Al-Sarhan considered that the decision to raise the price recently issued by the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection by 100% will increase the burden on his family's expenses, as he needs to obtain bread material only about 6 thousand Syrian pounds from his monthly salary of about 45 thousand Syrian pounds, i.e. Less than $ 30.
Syrian citizen Yasser Al-Sarhan spoke to Al-Jazeera Net about what he described as corruption even in the most basic rights of citizens, which is bread, as the price and quantity are supported by the "government" if he gets bread directly from the oven, but he pointed out that most local officials in the bakeries give out quantities of bread to intermediaries. They sell it next to the oven to civilians at a price that is more than twice as high, and he may be forced to do it when he is in a hurry and is not able to stand for long hours in front of the bakery.
Syrians stand in long lines for periods exceeding 3 hours to get a bundle of bread (Al-Jazeera)
Causes of the crisis
The increase in the price of bread came because of the difficult economic conditions in Syria, and the economic sanctions on the country. With this formula, the Director General of the Syrian Establishment for Bakeries Ziad Hazaa justified, and said during statements to Syrian media that there is a difficulty in securing wheat and high costs until a loaf of bread is produced, while Yunus al-Karim, a researcher in Syrian economic affairs, considered that the bankruptcy of the Central Bank is the most prominent reason for the bread crisis, as Russia has no problem exporting wheat to the regime, provided that it pays in cash and not through credit, knowing that it is from local banks.
Al-Karim also said in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that the “Autonomous Administration” in north-eastern Syria does not sell wheat to the Syrian regime under the pretext of the Caesar Act, but it also wants me to have the Syrian regime’s arm to obtain political gains.
Younes al-Karim added that the financial problem in Lebanon and the banking crisis made it more difficult for the Syrian regime, which usually uses it to obtain basic commodities, including wheat, in addition to the disruption of Beirut Port, which is considered the Syrian regime's import route.
He also pointed to the corruption that strikes all institutions, and the large quantities that go to his forces and the forces loyal to him without supervision of the quantities estimated at between 15 and 20 million loaves of bread per month, some of which are later sold by military brigades in the regime’s army to traders at low prices as animal feed.
Syrians consume about 5,500 tons of bread daily, according to statements by the Syrian Bakeries Directorate (Al-Jazeera)
Syrian bread
Syrians consume about 5,500 tons of bread per day, according to the statements of the Syrian Bakeries Directorate. Syrian bread has gone through a drop in prices since 2011, when the price of a "bundle of bread" was about 15 Syrian pounds, while these days it reached 100 pounds, meaning that the price doubled. In less than 10 years, more than five and a half times, by more than 550%.
Here, Younes al-Karim indicates to Al-Jazeera Net that there is a clear deterioration of Syrian agriculture and great difficulties that the main wheat-producing governorates are going through, such as the governorates of Daraa and As-Suwayda, which produce 20% of Syria's needs, and the wheat in the northeastern provinces of the country is also prevented from the system that produces 60% of the general need. .
He stressed that the rest is not sufficient for the regime’s needs, and that some of it is subject to the control of the opposition, as the bread crisis is part of a series of economic problems experienced by Syrians who spend their time during the month between lines of bread, gas, fuel and foodstuffs at a monthly income rate that does not rise to the wages of a few hours For an employee in other countries.