Qamishlo faces fuel shortage, residents demand solutions to fuel, currency crises

The fuel crisis in Qamishlo continues to affect various sectors as the absence of gasoline from fuel stations enters its 12th day. Most stations remain without supplies, directly affecting transportation and mobility within the city and forcing a large number of taxis to halt operations.

The fuel shortage has coincided with another crisis involving a lack of the new Syrian currency in markets. This comes after the Central Bank of Syria extended the deadline for exchanging old currency for new currency until August 6 through deposits into the “Sham Cash” account, amid a shortage of the new notes in circulation, causing confusion in markets.

Residents and taxi drivers said that several shops and fuel stations have begun refusing to accept the old Syrian currency and are requiring payment in the new currency, despite its lack of availability among many citizens. They said this has complicated buying and selling transactions and sparked widespread frustration.

Some residents also pointed to a rise in the dollar exchange rate in the city compared with other Syrian provinces, coinciding with the shortage of the new currency. They questioned the reasons behind this discrepancy and its impact on prices and purchasing power.

In this context, Hassan Hassan, an employee at a fuel station in Qamishlo, told ANHA agency that the gasoline shortage has entered its 12th day, confirming that all fuel stations have nearly stopped operating due to the lack of supplies.

He said, “since the beginning of the crisis, we have been without work. People are searching everywhere for gasoline. There have been promises that it will be provided in the coming days, but so far nothing has changed.”

He noted that the continued gasoline shortage is no longer affecting only fuel stations, but has also extended to markets, citizens’ movement and various aspects of daily life, questioning how normal life can continue without an essential commodity that everyone depends on.

Taxi driver Mahmoud Yacoub said the fuel crisis has directly affected drivers’ work. He said, “there is no gasoline, diesel or gas, and most drivers have stopped working because they cannot secure fuel.”

He added that transportation costs have become extremely high, with a trip to the market costing around 25,000 Syrian pounds, while the price of one liter of gasoline on the black market has reached around 15,000 Syrian pounds, exceeding the ability of most citizens.

Yacoub pointed out that the crisis is not limited to fuel shortages, but is accompanied by many shops and fuel stations refusing to accept the old Syrian currency and demanding payment in the new currency, despite its unavailability in markets, making it more difficult for residents to meet their daily needs.

The Syrian transitional government is not sending sufficient quantities of gasoline and other fuels to the region following the integration process. Previously, fuel supplies were available at subsidized prices, but they are now being sold at significantly higher prices compared with the past, in addition to being unavailable in the province.

In separate statements, several residents told ANHA agency that they were frustrated by the continued fuel shortages and the rising dollar exchange rate, stressing that these simultaneous crises have increased transportation costs and commodity prices and placed additional burdens on families amid difficult economic conditions.

Residents called on the relevant authorities to urgently intervene to provide gasoline to fuel stations, regulate the currency exchange market, and accelerate the availability of the new Syrian currency in circulation to restore normal market activity and ease the living burdens on citizens.

A-H

ANHA