The increase in fuel prices in Syria has sparked a wave of protests in the country, marking the largest demonstrations since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad about two years ago. These protests began particularly after the Syrian government raised the price of diesel by 40% to 175 Syrian pounds ($1.32) per liter on Saturday.
Protesters' Reaction and Road Blockades
In response to the price hikes, protesters set tires on fire and blocked main roads. One of the blocked routes was a highway connecting the capital Damascus to the industrial hub of Aleppo. Protesters also disrupted the movement of oil tanker convoys carrying crude oil to refineries in central Syria, demanding the removal of the Ministers of Energy and Economy and the head of the "Syrian Oil Company."
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Economic Conditions and Existing Pressures
This increase in prices has placed additional pressure on the Syrian people, who have been struggling with an economic crisis for years. Estimates indicate that 90% of the Syrian population lives below the poverty line. Before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, this figure was about one-third of the population. This situation has been exacerbated by the new price increases; the government has raised the price of domestic and industrial gas by about 9%, the price of 95-octane gasoline by 28%, and the price of 90-octane gasoline by 26%.
Abdulhamid Salat, spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Energy, announced that these price increases are temporary and due to rising global supply costs and Syria's heavy reliance on imports. He also emphasized that these prices will be subject to review as conditions change.
Syria is heavily dependent on Russian crude oil, importing about 60,000 barrels daily from the country this year. However, Damascus has stated that it is willing to significantly reduce the volume of these purchases. Fuel supply is facing increasing pressures, as attacks in Ukraine on Russian refineries have led to reduced production and restrictions on gasoline and diesel exports from Moscow.
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