عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Ukraine War Deepens Economic Woes in Damascus

A girl passes by a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Damascus (AP)
A girl passes by a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Damascus (AP)
TT
TT

Ukraine War Deepens Economic Woes in Damascus

A girl passes by a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Damascus (AP)
A girl passes by a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Damascus (AP)

The Ukraine crisis has exacerbated the suffering of Syrians as price hikes and shortages of essential commodities sweep markets in the country. Despite government promises, markets in Damascus and several other governorates saw over a 50% price hike on all prices.

Ahmed Khodr, a Syrian national living in the town of Qadisa north of Damascus, says that three days have passed since stocks of cooking oil have gone missing from commercial retailers and government institutions.
A liter of cooking oil peaked at SYP12,500.

Khodr also reported a shortage in some types of rice.

“About ten days ago, the prices of all commodities and foodstuffs began to rise daily and reached the point of the absence of some of them,” Khodr told dpa.

Khalil Muhammad, a Syrian national living in the city of Zabadani, was shocked by the prices of some foodstuffs shooting up by more than 50% within days.

According to Muhammad, an 8-liter can of corn oil coming from Lebanon was sold in Zabadani areas for SYP70,000 on March 3. On March 4, the price rose to SYP110,000 under the pretext that the Lebanese oil is imported from Ukraine.

The Syrian Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection announced it will introduce quantities of sunflower oil into the markets, confirming that there is enough cooking oil stocks for prices to gradually begin to decrease over the next two weeks.

“We will all work with traders and industrialists to secure the citizens’ requirements without denying the new global situation,” said Minister of Internal Trade Amro Salem in a Facebook post.

Salem revealed that the ministry has signed contracts for 25,000 tons of sunflower oil that will take a month to arrive in Syria.

The oil will be priced appropriately and is imported from the Far East, affirmed Salem.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
TT
TT

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.