Rising prices, failing services deepen livelihood crisis in Hasakah

Living conditions in the city of Hasakah are deteriorating amid rapidly rising prices of goods, services and fuel, alongside declining commercial activity, a shortage of liquidity and worsening electricity, water and bread services. The situation is directly affecting residents’ daily lives and their ability to secure basic necessities.

In this context, resident Ahmad Al-Nahar said, “The situation in Hasakah is disastrous in every respect. Commercial activity has declined significantly, while shop owners are suffering from weak sales and declining purchasing power among citizens.”

Al-Nahar explained that rising fuel prices, along with the crisis surrounding the new currency, have become among the main factors making daily life more difficult.

“I own a shop. On an average day, I sell to one customer, and most of the time I sell nothing,” he said.

He noted that the shortage of the new currency is also affecting people’s ability to secure basic necessities. Residents are struggling to buy bread because they are required to pay in the new currency, which is not sufficiently available in the city.

Al-Nahar stressed that the shortage of liquidity has affected markets, with most shops experiencing little to no commercial activity. He questioned where the new currency is, given its limited availability for salaries, bills and daily transactions.

Residents’ difficulties are not limited to high prices and weak commercial activity. Al-Nahar also pointed to deteriorating water services, saying that water does not reach some main streets, while secondary streets suffer from broken pipes and water leaks, further worsening the city’s service problems.

He also described the bread situation as disastrous and said the electricity crisis in the city has continued, with electricity absent since the beginning of the current month.

On private generators, Al-Nahar said shop owners are facing additional financial burdens due to rising prices for generator-supplied electricity, with the price of one ampere reaching $12. This prompted him to request that his shop’s connection to the generator be disconnected after his sales declined.

He added that household and commercial electricity costs have become a major burden, alongside rising prices for many basic necessities, stressing that living conditions have become extremely difficult.

Meanwhile, resident Saad Mohammad said commercial activity in the city is very weak, with a lack of job opportunities and declining customer traffic in markets amid deteriorating living conditions.

Mohammad said some families have begun relying on aid sent from abroad to meet part of their needs, adding that the continuation of the current situation is increasing economic pressure on residents.

He criticized measures related to imports and prices, explaining that opening imports to certain goods, including chicken, led to a temporary decline in prices before they rose again.

Mohammad also pointed to deteriorating electricity services, saying the city is living in darkness as the prices charged by private generators continue to rise. He added that when residents complain to generator operators, they may face threats that their subscriptions will be cut off.

He stressed that living conditions have become extremely poor, saying families receiving assistance from abroad are able to meet part of their needs, while other households face growing difficulties in securing their daily necessities.

For his part, resident Ahmad Al-Huwaija said living conditions in Hasakah are continuing to deteriorate, pointing to rising poverty rates and declining services, as well as insufficient attention to the city’s service infrastructure.

Al-Huwaija noted the accumulation of garbage on a number of city streets, saying the decline in services is placing additional burdens on residents amid difficult economic conditions.

On bread, he explained that the quantities residents receive from designated distributors are limited, while they are required to pay in the new currency.

He pointed to its insufficient availability across the province, including among money changers.

He also described electricity services as poor and said the arrival of water from the Alouk water station had not fully resolved the problem, as water reaches only a limited number of homes. Meanwhile, broken pipes on some streets result in water wastage and exacerbate service-related problems.

He added that rising transportation costs, coupled with higher diesel prices, are directly affecting residents, increasing the cost of travel and placing additional financial pressure on families.

The residents’ accounts reflect the scale of the pressures facing people in Hasakah, where rising prices are compounded by declining purchasing power, reduced commercial activity and higher energy and transportation costs, alongside persistent problems with electricity, water and bread. Together, these challenges are making it increasingly difficult for a broad segment of the population to secure their daily necessities.

a.k

ANHA