٠٠:٠٣:٣٠Syria: Aleppo residents get ready for Ramadan amid rising food prices due to conflict, earthquakes
Hundreds of Aleppo residents visited local shops to buy food as a part of their preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, as seen in footage filmed on Wednesday.
According to locals, the price of food skyrocketed due to the conflict and the recent earthquakes.
"The war has affected us. The subsequent earthquake exacerbated the situation. Some people lost everything. Before the war, the economic situation in Syria was very satisfying; the prices were low and everything was available. However, after the war, the prices skyrocketed and living conditions deteriorated. This is not my profession, but I have to work to sustain my family because we are homeless," Mohammed Moazen, a seller, said.
Another respondent mentioned merchants who 'took advantage of the natural disaster' to withhold some basic goods such as vegetable oil and ghee to sell them at higher prices.
"People here are suffering because of this. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Iftar meal could cost up to 50,000 SP (Syrian pounds) while the best a worker can earn is 30,000 SP a day. We will have to cook only one time every three days," the man added.
Ramadan is one of the three months of great importance for the faithful, with the first night prayer (tarawih) scheduled for Wednesday. The fasting month will commence on Thursday at dawn in most countries in the Middle East.
Aleppo has been ravaged by the Syrian Civil War since 2011, with fierce battles leading to the destruction of a large part of the city. In February 2023, it was also affected by the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria and southern Turkey.
٠٠:٠٣:٣٠Hundreds of Aleppo residents visited local shops to buy food as a part of their preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, as seen in footage filmed on Wednesday.
According to locals, the price of food skyrocketed due to the conflict and the recent earthquakes.
"The war has affected us. The subsequent earthquake exacerbated the situation. Some people lost everything. Before the war, the economic situation in Syria was very satisfying; the prices were low and everything was available. However, after the war, the prices skyrocketed and living conditions deteriorated. This is not my profession, but I have to work to sustain my family because we are homeless," Mohammed Moazen, a seller, said.
Another respondent mentioned merchants who 'took advantage of the natural disaster' to withhold some basic goods such as vegetable oil and ghee to sell them at higher prices.
"People here are suffering because of this. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Iftar meal could cost up to 50,000 SP (Syrian pounds) while the best a worker can earn is 30,000 SP a day. We will have to cook only one time every three days," the man added.
Ramadan is one of the three months of great importance for the faithful, with the first night prayer (tarawih) scheduled for Wednesday. The fasting month will commence on Thursday at dawn in most countries in the Middle East.
Aleppo has been ravaged by the Syrian Civil War since 2011, with fierce battles leading to the destruction of a large part of the city. In February 2023, it was also affected by the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria and southern Turkey.