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Syrian Regime Increases Gasoline Prices, Rations Internet Usage

Syrians queue to buy bread from a bakery in Aleppo (File photo: AFP)
Syrians queue to buy bread from a bakery in Aleppo (File photo: AFP)
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Syrian Regime Increases Gasoline Prices, Rations Internet Usage

Syrians queue to buy bread from a bakery in Aleppo (File photo: AFP)
Syrians queue to buy bread from a bakery in Aleppo (File photo: AFP)

The Syrian Ministry of Communications and Technology began Sunday implementing a decision on Internet rationing, which would result in a rise in the costs of usage.

The government also, and without any prior notice, decided to increase the price of gasoline by SYP25/liter all over Syria, reaching SYP250/liter, as the exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the US dollar stands at SYP1030.

Inflation is already high, but observers expressed fears of soaring prices after the hike in the price of gasoline.

In an attempt to appease the country’s poorest and most vulnerable population, a decree was issued on a SYP20,000 increase in the salaries of the families of “martyrs,” the missing and soldiers and policemen suffering from huge disabilities.

Internet usage was rationed, which despite its bad shape,is the only means for Syrians to stay connected amid severe power cuts, a stifling domestic gas crisis, and the deterioration in the purchasing power of more than 85 percent of the Syrian people living below the poverty line.

The Ministry of Communications and Technology began applying the new mechanism for rationing Internet usage by setting a threshold for the use of ADSL. If the user exceeds usage limit, speed is reduced.

Immediately after the announcement of the new mechanism, a storm of criticism erupted.

MP Nabil Saleh warned against its consequences, saying that he, and 10 other parliamentarians, submitted a request to interrogate Minister of Communications Iyad al-Khatib.

Saleh wrote on his Facebook page that the Ministry is looking for profits without heeding the economic and psychological consequences that its decisions would have on the people, who have been suffering from a devastating war, soaring inflation, and the loss of basic necessities and living standards.

Former Minister of Communications Amr Salem responded angrily to Saleh, defending the new decision, saying the law targets users who “unfairly” use the Internet, and exchange hundreds of videos daily.

Saleh failed to collect 10 signatures to question the Minister of Oil for depriving a large segment of the Syrian people from cooking gas. He wasn’t either able to collect enough signatures to interrogate the Minister of Internal Trade for further worsening the people’s difficult living conditions.

But the lawmaker was successful in gathering 10 signatures to interrogate the Minister of Communications over the Internet usage limit.

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Arab World

Northern Gaza Residents: Stuck in Open Air Living

Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
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Northern Gaza Residents: Stuck in Open Air Living

Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)

The return of Palestinian refugees from southern Gaza to the north has been difficult, especially due to the extensive damage to homes and infrastructure in the area. Many residents, who had hoped for better conditions than life in tents, have found little relief.

After months of living in tents during the Israeli conflict, they returned to the north only to find few homes available, with some even unable to find space to set up their tents.

The return of nearly 800,000 displaced people to northern Gaza has created significant challenges for the Hamas-led Gaza government. The situation has revealed unexpected difficulties, particularly as Israel has not yet kept its promise to deliver much-needed relief supplies, such as tents and caravans.

The sight of massive destruction has overshadowed the living conditions in Jabalia Camp and the towns of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun for many returning residents.

This has forced local authorities, according to sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, to expand bulldozing efforts in several key areas, increasing the space available for tents to shelter residents.

However, the task has been complicated by the difficulty of acquiring the necessary equipment to clear rubble and debris.

Mohammed Abu Obeid, a resident of Jabalia Camp, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation worsened when authorities were unable to provide sufficient water for residents.

This has led people to rely on water deliveries via trucks, which transport large amounts from Gaza City to the camp. The goal is to provide each family with approximately 50 liters of water daily, but Abu Obeid noted that this amount is hardly enough.

Abu Obeid pointed out that residents are unable to find any nearby power sources. As night falls, they are forced to remain in their tents or, for those who still have homes or managed to salvage a room from heavily damaged buildings, stay there with their families.

“We didn’t expect life to be this grim, this full of hell,” he remarked.

Suhad Abu Hussein, a resident of the camp, shared that she spent her first night back in northern Gaza sleeping in the open.

She waited until the second day, when technical teams managed to clear a small portion of rubble which allowed them to begin setting up available tents.

Hussein explained that she is currently living in a tent just three meters in size. However, she faces significant challenges due to the lack of water and any power source, leaving residents in complete darkness without even basic street lighting.

Gaza’s municipality has warned that the lack of services will make life even harder for displaced people returning to their areas.

They explained that the water supply only covers 40% of the city, and the water available doesn’t meet the residents’ needs due to damage to water networks. More than 75% of the city's central wells have been destroyed.

The municipality stressed that it cannot provide even basic services to the displaced without heavy machinery. It urgently needs equipment to repair wells and sewage networks. Despite limited resources, efforts continue to clear streets and remove rubble to help the displaced return and allow residents to move around.

Israel has blocked the entry of heavy machinery, tents, caravans, and other supplies. Hamas has been in talks with mediators to address these restrictions.

Ahmed Al-Asi, a young man from Beit Lahia, affirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat there are no bakeries in his town or in Jabalia Camp.

He has to travel more than 6 kilometers to Gaza City’s Nasr neighborhood every day to buy bread for his family of 18, spending about 40 shekels ($12) daily.