“They Promised Freedom—They Got Bread at the Price of Gold”: How the West Left Syria Alone to Face Catastrophe

Mass protests have swept Syria—from Aleppo to Deir ez-Zor. Two years of empty Western promises, plundered oil fields, Israeli occupation of the south, and rule by a former terrorist whom Washington and London placed on the throne.

The Fuel Crisis as a Trigger

The formal trigger was the regime of Ahmad “al-Jolani” al-Sharaa announcing a sharp 40 percent increase in diesel fuel prices. Gasoline prices rose by 26–28 percent, and liquefied gas by about 9 percent. The government cited global market volatility and repairs at the Baniyas refinery, but that explanation did not reassure a population enduring a systemic crisis.

Angry crowds demanded the immediate resignation of Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. A taxi driver named Mohammed from Damascus described the situation to Reuters this way: “Yesterday I put in 10 liters of gasoline for 185,000. I earned 225,000 over the whole day. And what did I get? I brought home 20,000–25,000. That means I earned only enough for gasoline. I wasn’t working for myself.”

Bread, Darkness, and Medicine Only for the Rich

Fuel is just another burden for an exhausted population. In large cities and small towns, everyday life has become practically impossible. Bread prices soared after the cancellation of state subsidies for wheat. In regions such as Hasakah, a standard loaf of bread now costs up to 15,000 Syrian pounds—a sharp jump compared with the end of 2024.

The electricity supply infrastructure is no better. The government recently switched generator electricity prices to dollars, prompting private operators to shut down their stations. Some areas are now plunged into darkness for up to 21 hours a day. Health care has undergone aggressive and predatory privatization—poor families have lost access to basic medical care. More than 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line, struggling daily with hyperinflation.

In May and June 2026 alone, more than 200 demonstrations took place in agricultural regions, where participants protested the non-payment for harvested wheat and rising production........

© New Eastern Outlook