Syrians face energy crisis

Syria's long-drawn-out crisis has led to the collapse of its electricity infrastructure and a sharp decline in conventional energy resources.

Since the onset of the civil war, the country's electricity supply has fallen to less than 25 percent of pre-war levels.

The destruction of power plants and critical infrastructure, coupled with difficulties in securing the fuel required to operate them, has left Syria's total power generation at under 2,000 megawatts.

This limited supply must be distributed across more than 13 provinces. Yet, electricity is essential to both the country's economy and its people's daily life.

Prolonged power outages have placed a heavy burden on the Syrian population, forcing many to turn to private generators and batteries to produce and store energy.

In Zamalka, a town in rural Damascus, it has endured over 13 years without government-provided electricity where residents rely on private generators and solar power to meet their energy needs.

The sound of generators in this town is deafening, yet the machines are a lifeline for people who want to live here.

The government electricity grid is mostly damaged, and people count on alternative transmission lines to deliver power to homes plunged in darkness.

"The war has destroyed the power grid, which the government has not fixed, so people have started to connect cables from generators to their houses. But the problem is that people cannot afford it. It costs 50,000 to 60,000 Syrian pound (around 3.9 to 4.6 U.S. dollars) a week to power just one light bulb," said Bassam Qaddour, mayor of Zamalka Town in Rural Damascus.

The long power outage also impacts businesses, as this area hosts numerous workshops.

Ibrahim Hajo is a blacksmith. He said he pays more than 600 U.S. dollars a month for electricity from private generators nearby to run his machines, as the government has not provided power for years.

"The cost of the final product is increasing. Before the war, I only had to pay my cost and the cost of raw materials. But now I have to add electricity, so the final cost is drastically increasing," he said.

Power outages are not the only problem in the energy sector. Fuel shortages are another protracted issue that's impacted the daily life of Syrians for years, especially in terms of affordability and availability.

The streets of Damascus are full of smuggled gasoline bottles and gas cylinders from neighboring countries. They are used to alleviate the shortages in fuel nationwide.

But prices are high when compared with the median income, which is no more than 25 U.S. dollars per month for households.

"The prices must be lowered. They are too expensive for the citizens regarding what they earn," said a resident named Yaser Khoder.

Strengthening the country's energy infrastructure and ensuring availability of fuel will be the main challenge for the new government in Syria.

It's a mission that requires restoring the nation's oil and gas fields, which are both still out of the government's control.

Syrians face energy crisis

Syrians face energy crisis

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests