-
Bread Crisis Deepens in Hasakah for Fourth Consecutive Day Amid Bakery Closures and Flour Shortages
The bread crisis in Syria’s Hasakah province has entered its fourth consecutive day, as several mills and automated bakeries remain out of service amid the absence of clear solutions. The disruption has reduced the availability of bread, a basic staple, across the province’s cities and towns.
The crisis has been particularly severe in the city of Al-Malikiyah, also known as Derik, following the shutdown of its automated bakery. The closure has deprived tens of thousands of residents of bread and pushed the price of a bundle of thick bread to around 6,000 Syrian pounds on local markets.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the crisis is linked to complications arising from the circulation of the new and old Syrian currencies. Mills are reportedly demanding payment for flour in the new currency, despite its limited availability, while residents continue to rely largely on the old currency. This has disrupted bakery operations and hindered the supply of the flour needed to produce bread.
In the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and their surrounding areas, residents are facing additional difficulties in obtaining bread. Many are being forced to register their names with authorized distributors and local committees a full day before collection, amid limited supplies and disruptions to distribution caused by the currency crisis.
