Flour ration cuts, absence of subsidized diesel worsen bread crisis in Jazira

Residents of the Jazira region have expressed their opposition to decisions made by the Syrian transitional government, particularly the 10% reduction in flour allocations to bakeries following its takeover of mills in Hasakah Governorate. According to residents, the decision has reduced the daily bread allowance for families by approximately half a kilogram, equivalent to four to five loaves.

Residents are now being forced to purchase commercially produced bread to make up for the shortfall, despite difficult living conditions and declining purchasing power.

Residents believe that the decisions taken since the transitional government assumed control of key sectors and resources in the governorate have increased their daily burdens rather than providing solutions to service-related and economic crises. They are calling for economic realities to be taken into account when decisions affecting access to essential goods are made.

In the town of Jal Agha, the reduction in flour allocations has sparked public discontent, as it has reduced families’ daily bread allowance by approximately half a kilogram.

Jwan Adeeb, a resident of Nabi Sadi village, said the reduction in allocations placed an additional burden on residents, particularly large families whose daily diet depends heavily on bread.

He explained that the decision was forcing households to purchase commercially produced bread at a price of 7,000 Syrian pounds, increasing daily expenses, especially for low-income families.

He added that the price of subsidized bread had risen to 4,000 Syrian pounds, with payment required in the new currency, which remains scarce in local markets. This has made it even more difficult for residents to meet their daily needs.

Meanwhile, Jalal Yusuf Khalaf, from Kherbi Jihwa village, said living costs had increased since the transitional government took over institutions in the region. He noted that the reduction in flour allocations had decreased his family’s daily bread allowance from six kilograms to five and a half kilograms, forcing the family to purchase a bundle of commercially produced bread every day for 7,000 Syrian pounds.

Khalaf said the decisions being implemented offered no practical solutions to the crises and that some failed to take difficult economic circumstances into account. He called for the decisions to be reconsidered and for support to service institutions to be restored.

Lack of subsidized diesel drives up production costs

The impact of the crisis extends beyond consumers to bakery owners, who are facing a sharp rise in operating costs amid the suspension of subsidized diesel supplies and difficulties obtaining flour and the new currency required to pay for their allocations.

Hussein Ali, the operator of a bakery in Kherbi Jihwa village that serves 12 villages in the northern countryside of Jal Agha, in the Alian area, said the subsidized diesel previously supplied by the Autonomous Administration at a price of 190 Syrian pounds per liter had become unavailable after the transitional government took control of the oil fields and raised fuel prices.

He added that bakeries had been forced to purchase diesel on the open market at 17,500 Syrian pounds per liter, in the old currency. This had substantially increased production costs and raised concerns about bakeries’ ability to remain operational, particularly those serving large numbers of villages.

Bread production requires substantial quantities of fuel, with some bakeries consuming approximately 300 liters of diesel per day. This places additional financial pressure on operators amid rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power among residents.

The difficulties are compounded by limited electricity supplies, which amount to no more than two hours per day. Bakery owners are therefore forced to operate generators using diesel purchased on the open market, further increasing production costs and making it more difficult to maintain the required bread quantities and quality.

Difficulties securing flour and maintaining regular bakery operations

In addition to rising fuel costs and reduced flour allocations, bakery owners are struggling to secure raw materials and maintain regular production. Mills require payment for flour allocations in the new cash currency, which remains scarce in local markets.

These difficulties are obstructing bakeries’ ability to obtain the flour they need. At the same time, bread prices are rising and support for bakeries is declining, undermining their ability to continue operating regularly.

Bakery owners point out that the combined impact of flour ration cuts, rising fuel prices, the absence of subsidized diesel, and difficulties using the new currency is intensifying the challenges they face and threatening their ability to supply bread in the required quantities.

Calls to restore subsidies and ensure bread availability

Jwan Adeeb and Jalal Yusuf Khalaf stressed that bread is not a secondary commodity that people can do without, but an essential daily necessity. They warned that continued reductions in allocations and rising prices would further increase the suffering of households, particularly large, low-income families.

Residents are calling for urgent measures to address the crisis, including reconsidering flour allocations, ensuring that bakeries receive subsidized diesel, facilitating their access to the new currency, regulating bread prices, and guaranteeing a regular supply of bread that meets the required quality standards.

These demands come amid declining public services, rising living costs, and falling purchasing power, all of which are placing additional burdens on both residents and bakery owners.

Calls are growing for the relevant authorities to fulfill their responsibilities by ensuring bread availability and supporting bakeries, rather than leaving residents and workers in the sector to face the consequences of the deepening crisis on their own.

ANHA