Arabic version: ارتفاع أسعار الوقود في سوريا يشعل احتجاجات على تكاليف المعيشة

According to Al Jazeera, protesters blocked roads and burned tyres in several Syrian cities and towns after the government raised fuel prices, intensifying anger over living costs and the pace of economic recovery.

The protests erupted on Sunday after authorities announced a 40 percent increase in diesel prices, a rise of at least 25 percent for petrol and an increase of about nine percent for cooking gas. The government said the measures were temporary, linking them to higher refined petroleum prices following the US-Israeli war on Iran and renewed hostilities in Yemen.

Parliament summoned Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir for a hearing on the rising costs. The government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said rebuilding after decades of economic stagnation and international isolation will take time. Syria was removed from the United States state sponsors of terrorism list in August, following earlier sanctions relief by the US, the European Union and others.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that fuel costs affect transport, food and other services across the economy. The UN World Food Programme puts Syria’s poverty rate at about 90 percent. Syria produces about 102,000 barrels of oil a day, while domestic needs are about 325,000 barrels a day, al-Bashir said, leaving the country dependent on imports.

The Ministry of Energy said it would keep reviewing prices as global market conditions change and expand refining and storage capacity over the long term. The government is also working on an overhaul of the Baniyas refinery, aiming to lift its processing capacity from about 80,000 to 130,000 barrels per day.