The Canada Brief

World · 5 d ago

A view of Aleppo, Syria

Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Syrians struggle with soaring prices after the fall of Assad

Price of bread since subsidies were cut

10 times higher

Since the government cut subsidies, the price of bread has risen tenfold and electricity costs are up several hundred per cent for some.

Last month, protests erupted across Syria after the government raised fuel prices again. The increase was revoked days later, but it was the largest show of discontent since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power two years ago.

Background

The UN Development Programme said 90 per cent of Syrians were in poverty last year. The World Bank estimates reconstruction will cost US$216 billion and says it is impossible without foreign help.