Published : 02-04-2020
Palestinian refugees sheltered in Khan Eshieh camp, in Rif Dimashq’s western outskirts, continue to rail against the steep prices imposed by merchants on food and non-food items over recent weeks, at a time when hundreds of cash-stripped families have been struggling for survival in light of the national home quarantines slapped in Syria over coronavirus outbreaks.
The residents said merchants and shopkeepers have been manipulating prices at the detriment of civilians’ needs for vital items. A number of merchants continue also to withhold much-needed goods in an attempt to sell them at higher prices later on.
Local activists have called for serious action by the concerned authorities, particularly the Syrian Ministry of Supply and Domestic Commerce, in order to impeach market abusers and dispatch control staff to regulate prices and control supply and demand.
Over recent weeks, residents of Khan Eshieh camp have spoken up against the poor-quality and insufficient quantities of bread sold in the area, saying it is unfit for human consumption and holding the government’s quality control staff responsible for the crisis.
Living conditions in Khan Eshieh have sharply deteriorated due to the lack of financial resources and high unemployment rates wrought by the raging warfare. The propagation of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 will further overburden the highly-vulnerable families who cannot afford to buy hygiene kit and life-saving medicines.
Palestinian refugees sheltered in Khan Eshieh camp, in Rif Dimashq’s western outskirts, continue to rail against the steep prices imposed by merchants on food and non-food items over recent weeks, at a time when hundreds of cash-stripped families have been struggling for survival in light of the national home quarantines slapped in Syria over coronavirus outbreaks.
The residents said merchants and shopkeepers have been manipulating prices at the detriment of civilians’ needs for vital items. A number of merchants continue also to withhold much-needed goods in an attempt to sell them at higher prices later on.
Local activists have called for serious action by the concerned authorities, particularly the Syrian Ministry of Supply and Domestic Commerce, in order to impeach market abusers and dispatch control staff to regulate prices and control supply and demand.
Over recent weeks, residents of Khan Eshieh camp have spoken up against the poor-quality and insufficient quantities of bread sold in the area, saying it is unfit for human consumption and holding the government’s quality control staff responsible for the crisis.
Living conditions in Khan Eshieh have sharply deteriorated due to the lack of financial resources and high unemployment rates wrought by the raging warfare. The propagation of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 will further overburden the highly-vulnerable families who cannot afford to buy hygiene kit and life-saving medicines.
