WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Fuel Price Increase Exacerbates Food Insecurity in Syria
WHY IT MATTERS
The fuel price increase has significant implications for food security in Syria, particularly for vulnerable populations. The situation is expected to persist through January 2027, with potential for further deterioration if restrictions on incoming goods continue.
What happened
A 40% increase in diesel prices in mid-September has eroded household purchasing power in Northeast and Northwest Syria, exacerbating food insecurity. The price of a loaf of bread in Qamishli rose by 45% after subsidized diesel for bakeries stopped, and many bakeries halted production.
Sugar and rice prices also rose, reducing access to staples for poor households. The government announced a lower tier for heating and agriculture, but it has not been implemented.
Delayed payments and rising production costs are reducing income across Northeast Syria, likely sustaining Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes through January 2027. Poor households, including camp-based internally displaced persons and returnees without land or livestock, are facing large food consumption gaps consistent with Emergency (IPC Phase 4).
PRIMARY SOURCES
Syria Key Message Update: Fuel price increase erodes purchasing power as winter costs and lean season approach, September 2026 - January 2027
ReliefWeb / original provider · Famine Early Warning System Network · ReliefWeb aggregation; original provider terms apply; link and attribution to the named source required
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 9, 2026, 5:30 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 9, 2026, 5:30 AM