Traditional Ramadan Foods Disappear From Tables as Syrian Families Face Financial Hardship – by Al-Souria Net (opposition website)

This year the arrival of Ramadan coincided with an unprecedented hike in market prices accompanied by a drop in available income, with some families claiming that tables this year are lacking most kinds of meat.

According to Al-Watan newspaper, Syrian families have estimated the cost of a medium-sized fast-breaking meal (iftar) to be around 6,000 Syrian pounds ($27), while the traditional Ramadan pre-dawn meal (suhoor) costs about 2,000 pounds.

Om Abdo, a housewife from Homs, said: « Today’s iftar is simply a few dates, french fries, fattoush salad and lentil soup. There is no dessert because the prices became extremely high after the price of sugar went up, » adding that her husband works as a painter, which means they do not have a steady monthly income.

Hama resident Om Hussein said that preparing a medium-sized iftar costs more than 6,000 Syrian pounds. She also said that suhoor meals are lacking key ingredients such as eggs and cheese.

A Syrian family needs around 8,000 pounds a day to prepare iftar and suhoor, and about 240,000 Syrian pounds for the whole month. The Syrian citizen’s monthly income is about 30,000 pounds; most pay about 20,000 SP for rent, leaving many to face difficult financial hardships and an increase in poverty.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.