15 September 2026
The sight of protesters blocking roads and burning tyres on the streets of several Syrian cities and towns has highlighted popular anger over a government decision to increase fuel prices and a wider cost-of-living crisis.
The protests, which erupted on Sunday, come after months of complaints about soaring energy costs and criticisms that the lives of many Syrians have not improved since the fall of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
The Syrian government has defended its efforts, arguing that it will take time to overcome decades of economic stagnation and international isolation.
The trigger for Sunday’s protests was a government announcement that diesel prices would rise by 40 percent, petrol by at least 25 percent and cooking gas around nine percent.
The government said the increases were temporary and caused by a spike in refined petroleum products following the US-Israeli war on Iran and renewed hostilities in Yemen. However, the Syrian parliament has summoned Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir for a hearing on rising fuel costs, a sign that officials were concerned by the public outcry.
“Fuel itself is not an isolated energy issue right now; it’s related to the cost of living crisis for every household and business in Syria,” Vittorio Maresca di Serracapriola, sanctions lead analyst at Karam Shaar Advisory, told Al Jazeera. “The anger right now reflects a deeper concern that the recovery stemming from the sanctions relief and Syria’s gradual reconnection with the global financial system is not yet translating into affordable [prices].”
“The protests show that Syrians increasingly hold their own government responsible for what they pay,” Nanar Hawach, a Syrian political analyst, told Al Jazeera. “Sanctions relief weakened the argument that hardship comes from outside and raised expectations at the same time. Much of the anger is also coming from areas that backed the change of government, making this the kind of discontent a government can answer only with results.”
Syria’s poverty rate is around 90 percent, according to the UN’s World Food Programme. The rise in fuel costs has a universal impact, affecting the price of transport but also food and other services.
“A 40 percent diesel hike is not just inconvenient; it is really a threat to [people’s] economic survival on a daily basis,” Maresca di Serracapriola said.
Source: Aljazeera
