Areas held by the Syrian government have been experiencing a suffocating crisis and complete paralysis in all aspects of life for more than a week, especially the transportation – the vital artery in the cities – along with the lack of electricity, water, and the interruption of communications in several Syrian cities. Add to this, the historical collapse of the Syrian currency, amid news about the bankruptcy of the Central Bank of Syria. This is the situation of the Syrian government-held areas.
This heralds a severe economic deterioration, especially since the government announced the suspension of all government institutions and departments for a week because of the fuel crisis afflicting the areas controlled by the government.
Reports started to come out to the public about an upcoming great catastrophe that will befall millions of the Syrians in the government areas. Days ago, the Associated Press revealed that the Central Bank of Syria had become bankrupt, the matter prompted the bank to request a loan from Russia, and however, the latter refused as a result of the fierce war it is waging in Ukraine which has exhausted it financially and militarily. Therefore, Damascus may be unable to pay the salaries of its employees within a short period of up to three upcoming months.
For its part, the Central Bank of Syria rejected what was published by the Associated Press, saying it has the necessary cash to pay the salaries of all its employees and workers, and it also confirmed the existence of a sufficient stock of foreign exchange and the US dollar and others.
Whether the Syrian government has gone bankrupt or not, the suffering of millions of Syrians remains at the forefront with the lack of basic services in the government areas and the insane rise in prices, accompanied by a significant collapse of the exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the US dollar which has exceeded the threshold of 6.000 Syrian pounds (SYP) to the dollar.
The average monthly salary for an employee is one hundred thousand Syrian pounds, which is equal to about $16. This raises several questions, perhaps the most prominent of which are: Is the Syrian government on the brink of economic collapse after more than a decade of the Syrian revolution? Secondly, the recent protests in the Druze-majority Governorate of Suwayda, which took place against the background of the poor living and service conditions that all areas of the government suffer from.
Hence, the question about a “lifeline” to get out of this suffocating economic and service crisis, which millions of Syrians in government-controlled areas can no longer bear, prompting many residents to seek refuge in the eastern regions or east of the Euphrates controlled by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). The AANES areas enjoy a more luxurious living situation compared to other areas controlled by the armed factions backed by Turkey on the one hand, and the Syrian government on the other.
According to all data and facts, the solution lies in the dialogue between the AANES and the Syrian government to sit at the negotiating table to reach a solution that satisfies everyone, especially as we are witnessing turbulent international situations in general, and in the Middle East in particular. Add to this, all Syrian communities are in dire need today to get out of the conflict that afflicted everyone. This requires a change in mentality on the part of the Syrian government to save face before it is too late.
