Bread Crisis Deepens in Hasaka as Bakeries Halt Operations Over New Currency Requirement

Welat TV – Erbil

Syria’s Hasaka province is facing a deepening bread crisis after most bakeries suspended operations for three days amid difficulties obtaining the new Syrian currency required to pay for flour, directly affecting residents and causing long queues at tourist bakeries that remain operational.

Bakeries halt operations from Hasaka and Qamishlo to Derik

Most bakeries across the Jazira region have suspended operations for the past three days, in an area stretching from Hasaka and Qamishli to Derik. The shutdown has made it increasingly difficult for residents to secure their daily supply of bread.

According to bakery owners in Hasaka province, the main problem is that residents do not have sufficient quantities of the new Syrian currency, while flour suppliers require payment in the new currency.

Bakery owners said this situation has made it difficult to secure production supplies, ultimately forcing them to suspend operations.

Bread shortage drives residents to tourist bakeries

With most bakeries closed, residents have been forced to turn to tourist bakeries to meet their daily needs.

According to Welat TV sources, the price of a bundle of tourist bread has reached 6,000 old Syrian pounds, equivalent to 60 pounds in the new currency. As demand for the available bread increased, tourist bakeries witnessed heavy crowds as residents turned to them following the suspension of most public bakeries.

Residents call for urgent solution

Speaking to Welat TV, residents called on the relevant authorities to intervene urgently to resolve the bread crisis, warning that the situation could worsen and make access to bread even more difficult in the coming days.

Crisis follows launch of “Better Bread” program

The bakery shutdown came just one day after the governor of Hasaka met with the director of the Internal Trade Directorate, during which officials announced a program called “Better Bread” aimed at improving the quality of bread produced in the province.

Shortage of new currency worsens crisis

The shortage of the new Syrian currency is not limited to bakery owners. Hasaka province is generally experiencing a shortage of the new currency due to the limited number of centers available for exchanging old banknotes.

Large amounts of the old Syrian currency also remain in circulation, making it more difficult for residents to obtain the new currency needed for daily transactions, including purchases of goods and commodities for which payment in the new currency is now required.

Calls for more exchange centers and extension of deadline

Amid these circumstances, residents are calling on the government and the Central Bank of Syria to take urgent measures to address the shortage of the new currency in Hasaka province.

Their demands include the rapid opening of additional exchange centers to allow more residents to convert their old banknotes into the new currency.

Residents are also calling for an extension of the currency-exchange deadline in Hasaka province, giving people additional time to exchange their old banknotes and helping mitigate the impact of the current shortage.