NORTHERN SYRIA -
Despite his limited daily income, Asaad Rahal, a Syrian worker residing in Idlib, hopes to buy new clothes for his three children on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, after promising them that they will not wear their old clothes when this eagerly awaited occasion arrives.
Rahal, 31, earns a daily wage of no more than 70 Turkish liras (equivalent to $5) by working in construction workshops on the outskirts of the city, like thousands of his Syrian peers who work as day laborers in opposition-controlled areas in northwestern Syria.
Rahal confirms to Al Jazeera Net that this amount is hardly enough for him to buy bread and food for one day's sustenance, pointing out that he does not know if he will get this much food the next day if he loses his work or is forced to be absent due to an emergency reason.
Rahal says that the price of Eid clothes for his three children is about 400 Turkish liras (equivalent to $30), indicating that he is thinking of borrowing money from one of his relatives in order to fulfill his children's long-deferred wish, but he is confused about the issue of reconciling between returning the debt and his daily expenses. .
People in Idlib accept to buy used clothes for the cheapest price (Al-Jazeera)
successive crises
Despite the relative calm on the fighting fronts, the northwestern region of Syria suffers from a stifling economic crisis that has caused exorbitant price hikes and a significant weakening of the purchasing power of civilians. The crisis deepened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequent loss of basic materials and the lack of support from humanitarian organizations.
Idlib markets witness little movement on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, and few residents buy Eid clothes, as the majority of them resort to cheap bale markets compared to new clothes markets, which are double or more.
Rabie Al-Hamoud - a seller of used clothes (bale) in the city of Idlib - said that the sales movement in his store is acceptable this year, but it is less than in previous years, adding that the people are accepting of bale clothes that fit their limited income.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Hamoud indicated that the majority of customers on Eid buy their children the Eid clothes with the approach of summer, so they have an opportunity to secure children's clothing and obtain Eid clothes.
There are no signs of the coming of the Eid in Al-Tah camp in Idlib countryside (Al-Jazeera)
Absence of Eid manifestations
Not far from the city of Idlib, the displaced receive Eid al-Fitr in Al-Tah camp, like the rest of the year. There are no signs of his arrival in the camp, which houses more than 300 families who were displaced 6 years ago from their homes and have not returned to them until now.
Few of the camp residents shyly prepare some cakes from the foodstuffs they received as part of humanitarian aid, but new clothes on the day of Eid are no longer considered.
The displaced widow, Suad Al-Hussein, says that her five children have not bought clothes since their father's death in the bombing of their town 3 years ago, and all they wear are from the donations of benefactors or what humanitarian organizations provide of used clothes.
High prices prevented many children from buying new clothes (Al-Jazeera)
Al-Hussein adds while crying, that the advent of Eid reminds them of their tragedy and helplessness, and turns them back on their pain and memories, and brings them back to the previous feast days that they spent among family, relatives and friends in their town in the countryside of Hama.
In turn, the director of Al-Tah camp, Abd al-Salam al-Yousef, pointed out that people in the camp are in extreme poverty, and they cannot buy new clothes for Eid or prepare cakes, and Eid manifestations are limited to prayer and exchange of visits among its residents.
Al-Youssef told Al Jazeera Net that the people expected that humanitarian organizations and charities would provide them with aid during the month of Ramadan, but the month was nearing its end and they did not receive any food or clothing aid.