Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain

Residents of Ras al-Ain, northwest of al-Hasakah, face challenges related to the high costs of traveling to al-Hasakah city, northeastern Syria, whether for medical purposes or other reasons. The journey costs about $150 per person, an amount difficult for many residents to secure.

The high travel costs between the city belonging to al-Hasakah and the provincial center are due to the residents being forced to use smuggling routes to travel between the two sides. The security and political conditions make direct travel unlikely, leading to the emergence of intermediaries and smugglers who exploit the residents’ need to travel and impose exorbitant fees in return for securing transit.

Exploitation of residents’ conditions

Smugglers, brokers, and intermediaries, in turn, exploit the residents’ need to reach al-Hasakah for medical check-ups or other reasons, in the absence of safe and legal transport means. This creates financial burdens for the residents amid already deteriorating economic conditions.

Sami al-Jaber, a 55-year-old cancer patient from Ras al-Ain, told Enab Baladi about the significant difficulties he faces due to the high travel costs to al-Hasakah for regular treatment.

Al-Jaber explained that each round trip to and from al-Hasakah requires $300, along with the necessity for such a trip every three months for essential tests and follow-ups on his health condition, which constitutes a financial burden on him.

He pointed out that the smugglers impose high amounts to secure passage, and the road to al-Hasakah is full of dangers and difficulties, in addition to being rugged and full of security checkpoints. These conditions make the treatment trip more difficult and exhausting, doubling the health suffering.

On the other hand, Fatima al-Khatib, a third-year university student, talked about the travel obstacles to continue her studies in al-Hasakah and the necessity of paying large amounts, affecting her ability to cover her educational and daily expenses.

The young woman indicated that she could not move to the fourth year due to the inability to travel last year due to military clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian National Army (which has controlled the city since 2019), causing road closures during that period.

Family travel attempts deepen the suffering of Ras al-Ain residents. Mona al-Kamal, a married woman and mother of two children, told Enab Baladi that smugglers charge half the adult fare for each child, amounting to $600 to cover travel expenses for visiting her family with her children, an amount she cannot afford, leading her to postpone the visit idea.

Security tightening increases costs

A smuggler between Ras al-Ain and al-Hasakah (who remained anonymous for security reasons) explained to Enab Baladi that those in charge of smuggling operations face difficulties in transporting residents to al-Hasakah via main roads due to tight security measures by the SDF.

He also indicated that smugglers are forced to rent private cars or motorcycles to transport people through unpaved roads, which usually are not prepared, pointing out that the owners of these cars and motorcycles demand large sums to secure transport, significantly raising the trip’s cost.

Regarding the details of this complex transport process, the smuggler explained that it requires coordination with another smuggler to manage the details and ensure safe passage between the two regions. This includes large sums to cover vehicle rental expenses and other costs, according to him.

Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad are located along the Turkish border and are controlled by the Syrian National Army backed by Turkey (affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government). They are surrounded by battlefronts with the SDF, and the Turkish border is their only outlet to the outside world.

The SDF imposes taxes of up to 50% of the value of goods such as food, medicines, and fuels when passing through its checkpoints towards Ras al-Ain, causing prices to rise. Some goods arrive expired, as monitored by Enab Baladi.