Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh

Residents of the rural areas of Deir Ezzor, which are under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), complain about discrepancies in bread prices from one authorized distributor to another, sometimes with a difference exceeding 800 Syrian pounds.

Some residents interviewed by Enab Baladi believe that this disparity confirms the failure of all the measures taken by the Deir Ezzor Civil Council, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration, to regulate the prices over the past months.

These prices vary among the distributors, as well as between different areas of AANES control east of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside.

Price disparities, Costly alternatives

Enab Baladi documented the variation in bread prices in several villages and towns, noting that the price often exceeds the official tariff, which is 900 Syrian pounds per bundle.

Omran al-Turki from the village of al-Fahimat in eastern Deir Ezzor says that the standard bread bundle is sometimes sold by the distributors for 1500 or 1800 Syrian pounds, which is burdensome for the residents.

He added that the bread is not available in sufficient quantities, forcing many families to buy tourist bread at a price of 3500 Syrian pounds per bundle.

In the town of al-Shahil, east of Deir Ezzor, Ali al-Murshid suffers from the same situation. He told Enab Baladi that a single bundle per day is not enough for him and his family, especially since it contains nine loaves of bread, weighing 900 grams, and is yet sold by the distributor at a higher price compared to other villages.

He added that in some neighborhoods, distributors sell the bundle for 900 Syrian pounds, while in other areas it reached 1200 Syrian pounds.

Specifically, on Fridays, the distributors do not distribute bread, driving people to look for other, often more costly, options like tourist bread, which is of a lesser quantity and higher price, or they purchase flour to make bread at home, which is also an expensive option.

New bread pricing

Mahmoud Khalaf, the head of bakeries in rural Deir Ezzor of the Autonomous Administration, said in a video published by the Deir Ezzor Civil Administration, that the price of a bread bundle is 1000 Syrian pounds, weighing 1100 grams, containing nine loaves, with no increase in price.

Khalaf confirmed that Circular “No. 8” issued by AANES’ Economy Authority set the price of a bread bundle for the consumer at only 1000 Syrian pounds.

He explained that the price of the bundle is divided into 900 pounds given to the manufacturing bakery, and 100 pounds go to the person responsible for distribution, according to Khalaf.

A responsible source in the economy office in the southern rural area of Deir Ezzor, who preferred to remain anonymous as they are not authorized to speak to the media, told Enab Baladi that there are violations being addressed, and these excesses are confined to the southern and northern areas.

He confirmed that if any documented complaints are received from the residents of the area, the distributor is dismissed from their duty, and a new name is nominated in their place.

AANES had raised the price of a bread bundle in its areas of control and issued a circular on March 17, which involved doubling the price to 1000 Syrian pounds.

Residents of the region live in deteriorated living conditions similar to the different influence areas across the Syrian geography while the areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are considered the wealthiest in Syria, as they contain most of the oil wells, in addition to being described as “Syria’s breadbasket” due to the significant agricultural activity there.

The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Syrian pound is 13,850 pounds, according to the S-P Today website specializing in currency exchange rates.