Residents in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is in control, are complaining about shortages of bread and poor quality, in addition to rising prices compared to the living and economic situation in the region.

The bread shortage is due to the fact that local bakeries operate only four days a week and close for three days, at the request of the Mills Directorate affiliated with the AANES to alleviate the pressure on flour demand. This situation has been ongoing since July 2024.

According to monitoring by Enab Baladi, the most prominent issues with bread quality include contamination with sand and bran, which affects human consumption. This issue stems from the poor quality of flour distributed to local bakeries by the Mills Administration.

Limited quantity and poor quality

Shamsa al-Hussein, a resident of the town of al-Kasrah in western Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that the problem of bread shortages has become burdensome for residents, with no solutions despite repeated demands.

She mentioned that the closure of bakeries for three days a week is confusing, and the quantity of bread predetermined by AANES is insufficient, amounting to one bread bundle per household, which does not meet any family’s needs.

Regarding quality, she stated that it is very poor and “not even fit to be given to animals.”

Amid the difficult living conditions, families cannot afford tourist bread due to its high price. A bundle of bread in the bakery costs 5,000 Syrian pounds, while the price in private bakeries reaches 10,000 pounds for 1,200 grams.

For his part, Taim al-Saleh from rural Deir Ezzor also considered the bread to be completely inedible because it is unclean and of poor quality.

The young man expressed his regret, stating that it is shameful for the bread to be full of sand, stones, bran, and impurities, especially since Deir Ezzor is rich in its lands and abundant crops.

Residents have filed several complaints with the relevant authorities to increase the quantity, place monitoring on the bakeries, and improve bread quality, but without response.

Home-baked bread as an alternative

Many families have turned to buying flour from traders and baking it at home, despite its high cost, but they feel compelled to do so, especially with bakeries closing for three days a week.

Ahmad al-Saray, a flour trader in the town of al-Sa’wa in western Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that flour purchases have increased since the beginning of this year, following a decrease in prices.

He mentioned that the price of a 50-kilogram bag has reached 175,000 Syrian pounds, highlighting the increasing demand due to the poor quality of subsidized bread from AANES.

Complaints continue, despite the announcement of committees within AANES conducting regular monitoring of the bread production process, including in September 2024 when a monitoring and follow-up committee for the bread production process in al-Hasakah conducted a field visit to examine the wheat and flour used in supplying the subsidized bakeries, following reports from citizens about the bread quality.

The residents of the region are living in deteriorating living conditions, similar to various areas under different influences across Syrian geography.

The areas controlled by AANES are among the richest in Syria, as they contain most of the oil wells and are described as Syria’s wheat reservoir due to their agricultural activity.

The bread crisis in northeastern Syria remains persistent, whether in terms of price variations from one distributor to another or in terms of lack of quality.