Damascus, Syria – The fuel price hike hit at midnight on Sunday.
asserted
hike → hit → Sunday
By Monday morning, frustration had poured into the streets, sparking open defiance across Syria.
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frustration → pour → Syria
A sudden government decree drove diesel prices up by 40 percent overnight and petrol by 28 percent.
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decree → drive → percent
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countries → abolish → court
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Demonstrators quickly gathered in public squares from Aleppo and Idlib in the north to Hama in central Syria and Deraa in the south, burning tyres and blocking key roads – including the main highway between Damascus and Aleppo.
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Demonstrators → set → Damascus
The initial wave of demonstrations has since eased in some areas, but the anger has not disappeared.
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anger → ease → areas
On Wednesday, protesters in northeastern Syria blocked the M4 highway near Tal Tamr, stranding hundreds of oil tankers.
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protesters → block → tankers
Demonstrators said they would not reopen the route unless the price increases were reversed.
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increases → say → route
Beyond the protests, a black market for diesel is booming.
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market → boom → diesel
Syrian security units have started intercepting tankers caught heading to unlicensed refineries to fill up on illegal fuel.
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units → start → fuel
Repeated price increases
The anger stems from the immediate fallout from the government’s decision, which comes on the back of the high international price of oil, largely a result of the consequences of the United States-Israel war on Iran.
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which → stem → Iran
The United Nations estimates that nearly 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line; any jump in fuel costs instantly drives up the price of transport and basic food.
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jump → estimate → transport
And Sunday’s hike came on top of repeated increases.
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hike → come → increases
Since February, the price of 95-octane petrol has risen by about 86 percent, while diesel has more than doubled.
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diesel → rise → percent
Over the same period, benchmark Brent crude rose by about 44 percent.
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crude → rise → percent
It all comes as Syria continues its recovery from a devastating, more than decade-long war, which only ended with the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
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which → come → December
The new government has been attempting to improve the country’s economy, including by successfully working to remove most of the international sanctions that had been placed on the country for years.
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that → attempt → years
But for many Syrians, economic improvements are not coming fast enough.
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improvements → come → Syrians
In Damascus, minibuses – a lifeline for the working class – raised fares immediately from 30 to 45 cents.
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minibuses → work → cents
Drivers say their margins are practically gone.
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margins → say → ?
Adel Ali Meree, a bus driver, worked an eight-hour shift only to see his earnings swallowed by the fuel tank.
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earnings → work → tank
“I spent all my money on diesel.
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I → spend → diesel
I only have four and a half dollars left,” he explained.
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he → have → dollars
“At the end of the day, I might earn only $10.
uncertain
I → earn → 10
I could make this money doing any other kind of work.
uncertain
I → make → work
It’s just not worth it.
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It → ’ → ?
Larger operators face the same grim maths.
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operators → face → maths
Bashar Sleiman operates a tour bus that needs 90 litres of diesel daily.
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that → operate → diesel
With the price hikes, the cost to fill his tank jumped from the equivalent of $84 to $120.
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cost → fill → 120
His company hasn’t yet finalised a new pricing structure, but he expects to increase his usual $110-$125 daily rate by at least $15 to cover the increased costs.
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he → finalise → costs
“If a tourist comes thinking they will spend $1,500, they will need more,” Sleiman said.
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Sleiman → think → more
“The hotels, food, transportation, and a tour guide will all get more expensive.
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hotels → get → ?
Traffic has been a bit lighter the last couple of days, but this won’t last.
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this → last → days
Nobody can afford not to generate an income.
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Nobody → afford → income
”
Feeling the hit
Cross-border routes are also taking a hit.
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routes → feel → hit
Ahmed Sweid drives a 25-passenger bus for the Shaheen transport company, running between Idlib and Beirut.
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Sweid → drive → Idlib
A round trip now requires $280 in diesel alone.
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trip → require → diesel
So far, the company has kept its ticket price at $40, relying on fully booked buses to absorb the financial blow, but operators remain anxious.
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operators → keep → blow
In the Mezzeh neighbourhood of Damascus, produce seller Ahmed Obeid said his delivery freight charges had tripled overnight, jumping from $4 to $12 a load.
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charges → say → 12
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
