Reporting by Mohamed al-Hussein; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Eqtsad)- Prices are soaring in Hasaka province as a result of the raise in the exchange price of US Dollar, closing crossing points to the province which led to limiting the amount of essential goods like vegetable, sugar and tea.
A lady from the village of Safah talked to Eqsad on condition of anonymity said: “ the price of one kilogram of sugar has reached to 1000 S.P, we used to buy a bag of 5 kilograms in that amount of money, but now we need to pay for it 55 thousand S.P from the market of Ras Alain and 60 thousand from Hasaka.”
The lady said that her husband bought 3 kg of sugar from the Komin Council affiliate to the Democratic Union party (PYD) three days ago, and she made some tea to her children, but the amount is going to finish by tomorrow and she ddid not know where they would find more sugar. She complained that the Komin council does not give them the total amount of 5 kg they are entitled to.
Moreover, the lady mentioned that she bought 1.5 kg of potatoes for 1000 S.P, and they were less than enough for the lunch meal, after that the children will eat bread only. “Today, the Turkish potatoes id for 350 S.P which is cheap compared to former days, but still we are not able to buy them, we work in agriculture and we have some animals, but we cannot get enough production to sell and have money to buy other stuff”, she detailed.
A lady works in fabrics trade in Saturday market in the town of Abo-Rasin said to Eqtsad that the price of one piece of fabric ranges around 1900-2000 S.P, which is expensive compared to people’s income but she is not able to sell any of her goods as cheap as before at 500 S.P, because the cost for her is for 1800 S.P.
The trader mentioned that she would go back home late afternoon and need to buy food for her children from the market that opens only a day per week, although it is not that expensive, but still lots of products are not available and if found it would be of bad quality.
The Supply Authority of the Kurdish Self Administration attributed in a statement the soaring prices to the heavy siege imposed on the region in general and Hasaka in particular, as the Iraq Kurdistan has closed the crossing point of FishKhabour since 4 months ago, and the Islamic State in Raqqa has prevented any goods from entering, all that led to consuming all the goods.
The Authority added that buying products in US Dollar and the fluctuation in its exchange price has contributed to raising prices, although they are trying to compensate the shortage of products by culturing vegetable and fruits and watching prices.
Activist Mahmood al-Ahmed from Qamishli accused the Self Administration of the PYD of causing that crisis because they prevented goods from entering the city via know routes, as they limited access through the “Free Mabroka points” because they, the Kurdish Self Administration, considered themselves as an independent country and started implementing inspection and forcing customs fees on trucks entering the city which led to raising prices of already scarce product.
The activist told Eqtsad that prices have risen in accordance to raise in the price of the US Dollar, for example two months ago the exchange rate of the US Dollar was 400 S.P, but now it has risen to 700 S.P, which led to almost doubling the prices.
Al-Ahmad mentioned that a sort of “Duty Free Zone” has been established in the village of Escandaron in Tal-Hamis area at the Syrian-Iraqi borders, where trades are done in U.S. Dollar and in a form of wholesale only.
The “Duty Free Zone” is small in area and controlled by Iraqi and Yazidi traders from Sinjar in Iraq, where the area is controlled by Yazidi affiliate to the popular Mobilization.
According to the activist, this small market is considered an alternative the PYD created to compensate for closing the crossing point of Fishkhabour controlled by Iraq Kurdistan, to create a crossing point controlled by its allied forces like Kurdistan’s Labor Party (PKK) and the Popular mobilization, instead of Fishkhabour controlled by the Beshmerga, the main Kurdish opponent of the PYD in Iraq and Syria.
Activist Malaz al-Yusuf mentioned that sugar has become one of the main concern of families in Hasaka especially in the countryside, as it is an essential component for tea, which is drunk in each meal and occasion.
Besides the lack of essential good, another crisis is sensed that the lack of purchasing ability, as the high prices consume all the already little income of people, besides the big gap between people income and their minimum needs of food, as most people are not able to cover half of their needs.
(Eqtsad)- Prices are soaring in Hasaka province as a result of the raise in the exchange price of US Dollar, closing crossing points to the province which led to limiting the amount of essential goods like vegetable, sugar and tea.
A lady from the village of Safah talked to Eqsad on condition of anonymity said: “ the price of one kilogram of sugar has reached to 1000 S.P, we used to buy a bag of 5 kilograms in that amount of money, but now we need to pay for it 55 thousand S.P from the market of Ras Alain and 60 thousand from Hasaka.”
The lady said that her husband bought 3 kg of sugar from the Komin Council affiliate to the Democratic Union party (PYD) three days ago, and she made some tea to her children, but the amount is going to finish by tomorrow and she ddid not know where they would find more sugar. She complained that the Komin council does not give them the total amount of 5 kg they are entitled to.
Moreover, the lady mentioned that she bought 1.5 kg of potatoes for 1000 S.P, and they were less than enough for the lunch meal, after that the children will eat bread only. “Today, the Turkish potatoes id for 350 S.P which is cheap compared to former days, but still we are not able to buy them, we work in agriculture and we have some animals, but we cannot get enough production to sell and have money to buy other stuff”, she detailed.
A lady works in fabrics trade in Saturday market in the town of Abo-Rasin said to Eqtsad that the price of one piece of fabric ranges around 1900-2000 S.P, which is expensive compared to people’s income but she is not able to sell any of her goods as cheap as before at 500 S.P, because the cost for her is for 1800 S.P.
The trader mentioned that she would go back home late afternoon and need to buy food for her children from the market that opens only a day per week, although it is not that expensive, but still lots of products are not available and if found it would be of bad quality.
The Supply Authority of the Kurdish Self Administration attributed in a statement the soaring prices to the heavy siege imposed on the region in general and Hasaka in particular, as the Iraq Kurdistan has closed the crossing point of FishKhabour since 4 months ago, and the Islamic State in Raqqa has prevented any goods from entering, all that led to consuming all the goods.
The Authority added that buying products in US Dollar and the fluctuation in its exchange price has contributed to raising prices, although they are trying to compensate the shortage of products by culturing vegetable and fruits and watching prices.
Activist Mahmood al-Ahmed from Qamishli accused the Self Administration of the PYD of causing that crisis because they prevented goods from entering the city via know routes, as they limited access through the “Free Mabroka points” because they, the Kurdish Self Administration, considered themselves as an independent country and started implementing inspection and forcing customs fees on trucks entering the city which led to raising prices of already scarce product.
The activist told Eqtsad that prices have risen in accordance to raise in the price of the US Dollar, for example two months ago the exchange rate of the US Dollar was 400 S.P, but now it has risen to 700 S.P, which led to almost doubling the prices.
Al-Ahmad mentioned that a sort of “Duty Free Zone” has been established in the village of Escandaron in Tal-Hamis area at the Syrian-Iraqi borders, where trades are done in U.S. Dollar and in a form of wholesale only.
The “Duty Free Zone” is small in area and controlled by Iraqi and Yazidi traders from Sinjar in Iraq, where the area is controlled by Yazidi affiliate to the popular Mobilization.
According to the activist, this small market is considered an alternative the PYD created to compensate for closing the crossing point of Fishkhabour controlled by Iraq Kurdistan, to create a crossing point controlled by its allied forces like Kurdistan’s Labor Party (PKK) and the Popular mobilization, instead of Fishkhabour controlled by the Beshmerga, the main Kurdish opponent of the PYD in Iraq and Syria.
Activist Malaz al-Yusuf mentioned that sugar has become one of the main concern of families in Hasaka especially in the countryside, as it is an essential component for tea, which is drunk in each meal and occasion.
Besides the lack of essential good, another crisis is sensed that the lack of purchasing ability, as the high prices consume all the already little income of people, besides the big gap between people income and their minimum needs of food, as most people are not able to cover half of their needs.
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