In the past two days, the markets of Raqqa city have been swarmed by locals desperate to secure supplies for Eid al-Fitr, while grappling with skyrocketing prices.Reports indicate that the city streets are overflowing with people as the holiday approaches, with a rush to obtain basic necessities, especially for children.
Asaad al-Khalaf, a local businessman from Raqqa, lamented in an interview with the Nedaa Post news agency: “Despite the overcrowding of the streets, the city’s markets have come to a standstill, with few people making purchases and most only inquiring about prices.”Al-Khalaf added: “We have even offered discounts on some items, selling them at cost price in an effort to assist the people, but many families are still unable to afford anything due to insufficient income resulting from the lack of job opportunities.”
Umm Muhammad, another local resident, shared her struggles in securing necessities for her three orphaned children after their father was imprisoned by ISIS when it controlled the city.”The price of low-quality jeans starts at 50,000 Syrian pounds or even higher. As for Eid outfits, their prices start at 280,000 Syrian pounds, which means we need about a million Syrian pounds to afford them,” she lamented.
Umm Muhammad had been relying on money transfers from her relatives in Turkey, but the recent earthquake disaster has exacerbated their plight, making it impossible for her relatives to send money transfers to her.
