The bread crisis in the city of Latakia continues for the third consecutive day, amidst the deprivation of many families from the essential item, and overcrowding in the few bakeries that have opened their doors.

The crisis began on Sunday, December 8, when the bakeries stopped working, and their staff were absent after the announcement of the collapse of the Syrian regime and the arrival of opposition factions to the capital, Damascus, where chaos prevailed in the city.

The firing of shots into the air and the state of security chaos on the first day of the regime’s fall caused confusion among the staff of public institutions, especially the bakeries that initially ceased operations, in addition to the lack of diesel and flour necessary for bread production.

According to an Enab Baladi correspondent, the bakeries partially resumed operations on Monday, but did not begin their work until the afternoon hours amid severe overcrowding at their doors, where many citizens were unable to obtain bread.

The same situation applies to private bakeries, where the price of a bundle of tourist bread containing five loaves reached 15,000 Syrian pounds (about one US dollar), after the price was 6,000 pounds for a bundle of eight loaves.

On Tuesday morning, December 10, with expectations of a decrease in the severity of the crisis, the severe overcrowding at the bakery doors persisted, particularly at the Tishreen bakery, where families flocked since the early hours of the morning.

Citizens told Enab Baladi that they arrived at the bakery by 7 a.m. but were unable to obtain bread after four hours due to the congestion, while others came from distant neighborhoods such as al-Raml al-Janoubi to get bread.

Similar congestion occurred at the al-Karamah bakery in the al-Saliba neighborhood, where hundreds of citizens lined up since the morning hours to buy bread, with a bundle sold for 4,000 pounds that contains ten loaves, and each person is allowed to purchase two bundles.

Vendors who used to stand around the bakeries for those who do not wish to wait in line have disappeared, and the sale via bread agents and the smart card system, which was previously implemented, has also ended.

The price of the tourist bread bundle containing only five loaves increased to 25,000 pounds amid the cessation of most pastry bakeries due to the flour shortage.

Residents are calling for urgent solutions to the bread crisis, which is an essential item that cannot be neglected, especially as families struggle to purchase the tourist bread at elevated prices.

Over the past few days, the prices of most goods in the city of Latakia have risen between 60% to 100% without regulation, while people await what will happen in the coming days, with promises and assurances from the factions and the government expected to be formed, that life will gradually return to normal.

The exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the dollar has risen unprecedentedly over the past few days, reaching 19,000 Syrian pounds for each dollar, while it dropped today to 15,000 pounds.