Fuel price surge sparks Syria’s biggest protests since Assad’s fall

Fuel price hikes have ignited the largest protests in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, according to recent reports. The Syrian government raised diesel prices by 40% to 175 Syrian pounds ($1.32) per liter, while household and industrial gas prices increased by around 9%, 95-octane gasoline by 28% to 195 pounds, and 90-octane gasoline by 26% to 185 pounds.

These price hikes come amid an ongoing economic crisis, with the United Nations Development Programme estimating that 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, compared to about a third before the civil war began in 2011.

Protesters, who blocked key roads and highways including the one connecting Damascus to Aleppo, expressed their grievances through burning tires and demanding lower fuel prices. They rejected the idea of higher wages, stating that their primary concern was the reduction in diesel and other fuel expenses. Yasser Salim, a protester from Aleppo, appealed to President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying the situation was unsustainable, and focusing on the need for essential goods and services to remain affordable.

The energy ministry spokesperson, Abdulhamid Salat, defended the price increases, describing them as a temporary measure driven by higher global procurement costs and Syria's heavy reliance on imports. He added that the government could revise the prices up or down depending on the situation. Syria has been heavily dependent on Russian crude, importing around 60,000 barrels per day this year, but this supply has been under pressure due to attacks on Russian refineries by Ukrainian forces, which have reduced production and led Moscow to restrict exports of gasoline and diesel.

The price hikes for refined products, such as 95-octane gasoline, have risen by about 86% since February, while diesel has more than doubled. Despite these adjustments, the supply crisis has been exacerbated by the closure of Syria's largest refinery, Baniyas, for maintenance. Imad Abu Ras, a taxi driver, expressed concern that rising fuel prices would lead to increased costs for everyday goods, questioning whether there is a solution to this growing problem beyond resorting to theft.