Rising living costs deepen hardship for hasakah residents

Residents of Hasakah city and its countryside complain of mounting living costs as food, fuel and medicine prices continue to rise, while purchasing power declines. They are calling on the relevant authorities in the transitional government to take measures to ease their suffering, particularly as winter approaches.

In this context, local resident Mohammed Saleh al-Ayoub, from the Ghuwayran neighbourhood, said living conditions were becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for people who do not work in state institutions and have no stable source of income or financial support from any entity. This has made meeting daily needs extremely challenging.

Al-Ayoub noted that the continued rise in the prices of various goods, coupled with increasing fuel costs, had further aggravated residents' hardship.

He called on the relevant authorities to provide food assistance to families in need and work to reduce fuel and food prices in line with citizens' purchasing power.

He added that securing heating fuel this year had become a major challenge for residents amid difficult economic conditions and a sharp increase in diesel prices. A litre of diesel has reached approximately 11,500 Syrian pounds, raising concerns among residents about their ability to meet their heating needs during the winter.

Meanwhile, Anwar al-Saleh, another young resident of Ghuwayran, expressed his dissatisfaction with the deteriorating living conditions. He said rising fuel and essential commodity prices, coupled with poor electricity services, had made daily life increasingly difficult.

Al-Saleh explained that daily wages, which stand at approximately 75,000 Syrian pounds, were no longer sufficient to cover basic expenses amid continued increases in food and medicine prices.

He called on the government to address citizens' living conditions and reduce the prices of diesel, food and medicine to ensure a better standard of living.

For his part, Mehdi al-Saud, a resident of the eastern Hasakah countryside, said living conditions had become extremely difficult as diesel prices reached approximately 17,000 Syrian pounds per litre, despite the fuel's essential role in providing heating during winter.

Al-Saud noted that "rising fuel prices have directly affected public transport fares, both within and between cities, which have doubled compared with previous periods. Food prices have also risen sharply, placing an additional burden on families' daily lives."

He called on the relevant authorities to make fuel available at prices that match citizens' financial means, pointing out that low-income earners and workers without stable employment have insufficient sources of income to cope with successive price increases.

He questioned how citizens could continue meeting their daily needs amid a lack of sufficient income and persistent price hikes, stressing that ordinary people were no longer able to keep up with growing living expenses.

According to the latest approved adjustment by the Ministry of Energy, the current official fuel prices in Syria, in new Syrian pounds, are as follows:

* 95-octane petrol: 195 Syrian pounds per litre (equivalent to approximately 19,500 old Syrian pounds).

* 90-octane petrol: 185 Syrian pounds per litre (equivalent to 18,500 old Syrian pounds).

* Standard diesel: 175 Syrian pounds per litre.

* Subsidised diesel for heating and agriculture: 115 Syrian pounds per litre.

* Diesel for productive and service sectors: 150 Syrian pounds per litre.

* Domestic gas cylinder: 1,600 new Syrian pounds.

* Industrial gas cylinder: 2,400 new Syrian pounds.

a.k

ANHA