Reporting by Mohamed Kassah; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Eqtsad)- The reconciliation agreement between the regime and rebels in Moadamiyeh has ended 5 months of severe siege and unprecedented food shortage crisis leading to unforgettable hunger crisis.
However, breaking the siege and allowing food in the town of Moadamiyeh was not able to end people suffering as poverty started playing its turn.
“five months ago when the town had been completely closed, people started realising what hunger means, they felt the pain of waking up in the morning and finding nothing to feed their children, it was awfully hard days, we were about to die of hunger”, Fadi described the latest siege.
He added that although Moadamiyeh was besieged many times before, but the latest one was the hardest.
“soup was the only available dish for every meal, no vegetable or legumes were available, sugar was very rare, while bulgur and rice were too precious,” Fadi continued describing with pain and wishing those days would not come again.
Siege has not ended completely, although food is allowed in the city, but still only few products are available in shops, and it is distributed in sectors to reach to all people.
Abo Saeed, head of the bread and vegetable sector told Eqtsad: “in the beginning when the siege was lifted, people started to buy everything at any price, but later, goods started to get stagnant as people are not able to afford for the high prices of the good and more than half of the products stayed in shops.”
Abo Saeed explained: “the siege has partially ended in our city, as lot o products are available now, but the financial crisis started to appear, as people do not have money to buy.”
Mohammed, a journalist in a local newspaper, his work enabled him to witness the economic changes during and after the siege in Moadamiyeh.
“The source in income in the town is only the government’s employees, retired employees and fighters with military formations and cigarette sellers, they form only 20% of people, while the rest live far below the poverty line”, the journalist explained.
Mohammed continued explaining that hunger crises has not ended, but its form has changed from siege and lack of everything, into rarity of money with people and inability to buy most of the things, therefore goods are stagnant in shops.
Mohammed gave an example that a box of eggs is now for SYP 1350, while yogurt is for SYP 225 and a kilo of poultry is for SYP 2150.
Poverty is now the main aspect of the scene, hunger has not gone”, Mohammed ended.
-Poverty-
A man told his neighbour Abo Shafiq about the availability of yogurt in the shop, but abo Shafiq was not interested: “ I do not want to buy it, not today nor any time, I don’t have the money.”
Another story about a bully and a thief who decided to become clean and stop his bad actions, but now he suffers of poverty and he has no money to feed his children.
Abo Walid, 55, said to Eqtsad: “I have no work, today goods entered Moadamiyeh, what shall I do, God help us, but where are the charitable bodies, the National Coalition and the local council?”
Hunger s still as before and has slightly improved from the time of siege, but it changed it face, and deprivation is increasing.
Eqtsad appeals to the charitable and relief organisations and revolutionary bodies to help the 7 thousands families who are suffering of hunger, poverty and deprivation.
(Eqtsad)- The reconciliation agreement between the regime and rebels in Moadamiyeh has ended 5 months of severe siege and unprecedented food shortage crisis leading to unforgettable hunger crisis.
However, breaking the siege and allowing food in the town of Moadamiyeh was not able to end people suffering as poverty started playing its turn.
“five months ago when the town had been completely closed, people started realising what hunger means, they felt the pain of waking up in the morning and finding nothing to feed their children, it was awfully hard days, we were about to die of hunger”, Fadi described the latest siege.
He added that although Moadamiyeh was besieged many times before, but the latest one was the hardest.
“soup was the only available dish for every meal, no vegetable or legumes were available, sugar was very rare, while bulgur and rice were too precious,” Fadi continued describing with pain and wishing those days would not come again.
Siege has not ended completely, although food is allowed in the city, but still only few products are available in shops, and it is distributed in sectors to reach to all people.
Abo Saeed, head of the bread and vegetable sector told Eqtsad: “in the beginning when the siege was lifted, people started to buy everything at any price, but later, goods started to get stagnant as people are not able to afford for the high prices of the good and more than half of the products stayed in shops.”
Abo Saeed explained: “the siege has partially ended in our city, as lot o products are available now, but the financial crisis started to appear, as people do not have money to buy.”
Mohammed, a journalist in a local newspaper, his work enabled him to witness the economic changes during and after the siege in Moadamiyeh.
“The source in income in the town is only the government’s employees, retired employees and fighters with military formations and cigarette sellers, they form only 20% of people, while the rest live far below the poverty line”, the journalist explained.
Mohammed continued explaining that hunger crises has not ended, but its form has changed from siege and lack of everything, into rarity of money with people and inability to buy most of the things, therefore goods are stagnant in shops.
Mohammed gave an example that a box of eggs is now for SYP 1350, while yogurt is for SYP 225 and a kilo of poultry is for SYP 2150.
Poverty is now the main aspect of the scene, hunger has not gone”, Mohammed ended.
-Poverty-
A man told his neighbour Abo Shafiq about the availability of yogurt in the shop, but abo Shafiq was not interested: “ I do not want to buy it, not today nor any time, I don’t have the money.”
Another story about a bully and a thief who decided to become clean and stop his bad actions, but now he suffers of poverty and he has no money to feed his children.
Abo Walid, 55, said to Eqtsad: “I have no work, today goods entered Moadamiyeh, what shall I do, God help us, but where are the charitable bodies, the National Coalition and the local council?”
Hunger s still as before and has slightly improved from the time of siege, but it changed it face, and deprivation is increasing.
Eqtsad appeals to the charitable and relief organisations and revolutionary bodies to help the 7 thousands families who are suffering of hunger, poverty and deprivation.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.