By Anas al-Bar | 2023-10-31

Residents of eastern Syria living in areas controlled by militias aligned with Iran, Russia and the Syrian regime, who are already facing severe hardships, may see conditions further deteriorate as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.

In Deir Ezzor province, residents are already contending with high prices and a severe shortage of basic supplies, fuel and public services.

A spillover from the Israel-Hamas war, triggered when Hamas staged an October 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages, could make the situation worse, observers said.

Since the initial attack by Hamas, which is backed by Iran, Iran-aligned militias have been firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon and Syria, drawing retaliatory and preemptive fire.

Israel's military has struck targets in Syria, and on Monday (October 30) carried out air strikes on military infrastructure in Syria that is reportedly linked to Iran.

United Nations (UN) special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Monday told the Security Council that Syria has "seen growing instability and violence, exacerbated by the lack of a meaningful political process," AFP reported.

"Today, I am sounding an alarm that the situation is now at its most dangerous for a long time," he said.

"On top of the violence emanating from the Syrian conflict itself, the Syrian people now face a terrifying prospect of a potential wider escalation," he said.

"Spillover into Syria is not just a risk; it has already begun."

'Killing us slowly'

In the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, "Iran's militias have even seized bread," said al-Mayadeen resident Mahmoud, 37, who asked that only his first name be used.

Militias affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Russia and Syrian regime that dominate the area have shut down many bakeries to restrict the sale of bread to a limited number of their own affiliated bakeries, he said.

"They are trying to make money from our sustenance and essential sources of livelihood, and they do not care what happens to us," he told Al-Fassel.

"They are killing us slowly."

Militiamen and the Syrian regime sell the good quality wheat on the black market, while the poor quality wheat is used for making bread that is sold locally at high prices, Mahmoud said.

Dozens of people line up daily in front of the bakeries that are still open, he said, while high prices have forced people to buy flour, which is often of poor quality, and make bread at home.

At the same time, the price of produce has increased by up to 50%.

A quick tour of the markets in the border town of Albu Kamal is enough to reveal the hardships people are facing, local resident Ibrahim, 46, told Al-Fassel, on condition that his full name be withheld.

"Today's markets are almost empty of shoppers, and no one can afford to buy all of his family's food needs," Ibrahim said. "Some items, such as meat, have become impossible to have on people's tables."

Imposition of tributes

Militias in the area -- including the Syrian regime's 4th Division -- have been imposing tributes on truck drivers and traders, triggering a rise in the prices of most goods.

The militias demand money at checkpoints at the entrances to the cities of al-Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor and Albu Kamal, a truck driver who transports commercial goods told Al-Fassel, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Drivers are blackmailed and held up for hours or days if they do not pay," he said. "Drivers are sometimes falsely accused of shipping spoiled or prohibited commodities to force them to pay tributes."

Sharp disputes often occur over control of positions of influence and division of tributes between Syrian regime forces and groups allied with Russia on one side, and the Iranian militias on the other side, observers say.

The Iranian militias control unofficial crossings between Syria and Iraq, such as al-Hari crossing, where they allow shipments of smuggled goods to pass in exchange for tributes.

Tributes also have been imposed on local farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen, among others.

Fuel shortage crisis

"The fuel shortage crisis will not end as long as there are militias behind it," Deir Ezzor city resident Abdul Salam, 66, told Al-Fassel.

He accused Iranian and regime militias of stealing oil from local wells and engaging in the illicit trade and smuggling of fuel, which he said has been "prolonging the crisis and exhausting residents."

"I use my car only when necessary because I cannot bear the cost and hassle of waiting in line for a long time at gas stations," he added, noting that fuel prices, especially those of gasoline and diesel, have risen multifold over the past year.

The crisis also has impacted the public transportation sector in Deir Ezzor and increased transportation fees, according to the Eye of the Euphrates network.

At the same time, local residents say, there has been a significant deterioration in the level of public sector services, particularly in the health sector.

The IRGC and its affiliated militias are "depleting the resources of the cities they occupy," Deir Ezzor city resident and Eye of the Euphrates reporter Nawras al-Arfi told Al-Fassel.

They are exploiting everything "to boost their power," he said, accusing the militias of violating the rights of residents, infringing on their property and threatening their lives.

This has left residents "in a deplorable state, complaining about the lack of the most basic services and necessities of life and stifling economic crises," he said.