Syria Protests Erupt After 40% Fuel Price Hike
Protests have erupted across Syria after the government sharply increased fuel prices, triggering the country’s most widespread demonstrations since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad nearly two years ago.
The government raised the price of diesel by 40%, from 125 to 175 Syrian pounds per litre. Petrol prices also increased, with 95-octane gasoline rising by 28% and 90-octane gasoline by 26%.
Demonstrators burned tyres and blocked major roads, including the highway linking the capital, Damascus, with the industrial city of Aleppo. Some protesters also blocked convoys of crude-oil tankers and called for the dismissal of senior economic and energy officials.
The protests come as Syrians continue to struggle with a severe economic crisis after more than a decade of war. The UN Development Programme estimates that about 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, compared with roughly one-third before the civil war began in 2011.
The Energy Ministry said the increases were temporary and driven by higher global fuel procurement costs, Syria’s heavy dependence on imports and disruptions to fuel supplies. The country’s largest refinery, Baniyas, has also been undergoing major maintenance, further increasing reliance on imported refined products.
The latest increase means diesel prices have more than doubled since February, while 95-octane gasoline has risen by about 86% over the same period.
The unrest presents a major economic and political challenge for President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government as it attempts to rebuild a country still facing deep economic hardship and damaged infrastructure.
