“I shiver because of cold” boy says as life conditions worsen in Daraa

(Eqtsad)-It seems that the winter in Daraa in its sixth year from the Syrian revolution will be unusually hard, the harsh cold came early this year in conjunction with very hard economic conditions which are becoming increasingly worse at a time where there is an extreme shortage in fuel and wood, a rocking prices in most regions of liberated Daraa.

Child Issam, (10), who is very thin, says, “I shiver because of cold. The cold came early this year and we do not have any heating device in our home so how will it be in winter.”

Issam continues as he empties garbage bags in one of the distant dumpsites from his village without turning to his talker, “I search for what is flammable from plastic material like cleaning cans, drinking cans and nylon bags in order to use them for cooking and heating,” he pointed out that him and several of his friends go around most of the garbage containers in his village and nearby areas to look for anything flammable regardless of its damage to the health.

He added, “we collected a lot of worn tires to use it in fireplaces because we do not have any wood or fuel and neither we have the money wo buy any,” he indicated that his family is very poor. After his father was arrested, his family has been living on what people give from daily help.

Abu Ammar, a retired teacher, points out that the bad economic situation for people and the fact that there is no regular income pushed people to use anything available in their daily lives. He does not find anything strange in these conditions, indicating that the Syrian citizen returned to primitive means during the years of the revolution which burned everything. People use means which go back to the 50s without stopping and thinking of their damages because now these things are demands and basics of daily life because there is no other alternative.

He added that the hearth and fireplace appeared again after they were about to become a long gone heritage. Now, they are basics and necessity in winter and summer for some families who need their service in absence of financial means and the inability to buy fuel and wood. He pointed out the hearth and fireplace can take whatever is flammable like remains of tires, boxes, plastic containers, worn clothes, and animal waste after drying them.

Oum Raed, a lady in her 50s, said she started using al-Jileh as a fuel this year because woods’ price has increased and the unavailability of fuel in her area. She indicated she started collecting animal waste since summer and made of it al-Jileh after mixing it with hay material. She dried it for a long time under sun.

She added that she did not know this before, but she asked her senior and benefited from their guidelines and their experience in making al-Jileh. She pointed out she secured this material for cooking and heating during winter. She saved at least 100000 SP which she would have to borrow if she had to buy woods of fuel.

On his part, Qasim a store keeper said the situation in liberated Daraa countryside is still far better in comparison to further west Daraa especially in areas where Khalid Bin al-Waleed army control. The army which is accused of pledging loyalty to ISIS. There, there is not any power resources.

The woods in al-Yarmouk Valley has been used and the artificial forestry does not have any more trees after regime sold it before they exited the area. The population also used the rest of those trees during the past years in addition the area is banned from fuel entrance with big amount according to decisions enforced on it.

He added the smuggled fuel prices in the area have exceeded citizen’s capacity to afford buying these material to use it for heating. One letter of Diesel is about 450 SP meaning the barrel’s price exceeds 100000 SP. A barrel does not last more than a month meaning one family needs about 200000 SP at least during winter.

He added that also Gaz has rocking prices. A cylinder of gas is about 6500 SP. If it is used for heating, it does not last for more than 5 days. He called in the name of the people in the western region the concerned authorities which ban entrance of fuel to find a certain mechanism to allow the entrance of this material exclusively for the citizens in the area and with selected prices.

Abu Qusai, a wood trader, points out that the price of a ton of wood in the liberated area has increased this year in a major way in comparison with last year due to the shortage in amount and shortage of the resources for this material which has been majorly consumed during the past years. He indicated that citizens started to use trees in houses’ gardens and some fruitful trees like olives to use it in cooking and heating this winter.

He added that a ton of al-Maloul wood, a type of woods, reaches 75000 SP whereas a ton of olive tree wood reached 50000 SP. The wood of Eucalyptus reached 40000 SP. He indicated these prices are temporary and they will be increased in the coming period with the advent of harsh cold since the amount is little and it is from last year.

He said if the situation remained like this, people in the liberated areas will not find anything to kindle in winter and families will cut the rest of fruitful trees to use it as fuel.