Residents of Hasakah call for review of fuel price increase

Residents of Hasakah expressed their dissatisfaction with the deteriorating living conditions and rising prices of fuel and basic commodities, calling on the relevant authorities to reconsider decisions that increase the economic burden on residents and to work toward finding solutions to the accumulated livelihood problems.

Citizen Abdullah Al-Khaled said that residents of Hasakah are facing problems affecting various aspects of their daily lives, adding that the responsibility for studying these problems and finding solutions lies with the relevant authorities and officials.

Al-Khaled explained that residents of the city have faced successive crises over the past years, amid rising prices of basic commodities and fuel. He said that the current circumstances should prompt officials to find solutions and ease the burdens on citizens rather than adopt decisions that increase their suffering.

He called for a reassessment of decisions that harm citizens’ interests, the establishment of channels for dialogue with residents, and listening to their concerns and working to address them. He likened the role of an official to that of a doctor who should work to treat the problems affecting society, including poverty, unemployment, and rising prices.

Al-Khaled said that the decision to increase fuel prices places significant burdens on citizens and warned that the continued deterioration of living conditions could exacerbate social and security problems and contribute to the spread of negative phenomena, including theft.

For his part, citizen Mohammad Amin described the fuel price increase as highly damaging to daily life, saying that higher fuel prices directly affect food prices and transportation fares.

Amin explained that the daily wage of some workers does not exceed 40,000 Syrian pounds, and that a worker may be forced to spend around half of his wage on transportation costs, leaving him with no more than 20,000 Syrian pounds, which he said is barely enough to buy bread.

He pointed out that rising prices have also affected school students and that many families are struggling to cover educational expenses, including transportation fares and other costs associated with education.

For his part, citizen Ali Dhiab said that residents have become accustomed to facing crises, but that they would not become accustomed to sudden decisions. He questioned the suitability of applying global fuel pricing to a region that has been experiencing crises, war, and difficult living conditions for nearly 14 years.

Dhiab added that residents continue to face difficulties securing basic commodities and bread, despite the region being rich in oil, raising questions about the living conditions of its population.

Meanwhile, a young man named Diaa noted that rising fuel prices have directly affected school students, particularly amid an increase in public transportation fares, which have reached approximately 6,000 Syrian pounds per passenger.

He added that the decision also places a burden on workers, given that the daily wage of some of them does not exceed 40,000 Syrian pounds.

He explained that a worker may spend half of his income on transportation fares, while the remaining amount is insufficient to meet his family’s basic needs.

Residents called on the responsible authorities to reconsider the decision to increase fuel prices, take into account the difficult economic and living conditions facing the city of Hasakah, and adopt measures aimed at easing the burden on citizens rather than increasing it.

ANHA