Syrian media confirmed that there is a feverish campaign among citizens to buy firewood, including in major cities, such as Damascus, Aleppo and Homs, without waiting for the distribution of heating oil, which usually takes place in the eighth month of each year, while the ninth month entered and the Ministry of Oil did not announce So far for any dates for its distribution.
The pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper reported that a ton of firewood in Damascus reached 1.2 million SYP ($300), while its price in areas where there are trees ranges between 300-500,000 SYP pounds ($85-130), which prompted the security authorities to monitor external roads and prevent its entry into major cities and trade it.
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The newspaper reported that it tried to contact sources in the Ministry of Oil to find out when the heating oil would be distributed to the families, but it did not get specific answers, considering that this is one of the reasons that prompted people to burn wood without waiting for any official announcement of the distribution date, so as not to repeat the tragedy of last year. Back then, they only got 50 litres for the whole year out of the 200 litres, which is their allotment.
The newspaper quoted officials in the Ministry of Agriculture confirming that large-scale firewood operations took place in many provinces in violation of the law, but they did not provide any figures on the damage caused to the forest wealth as a result of cutting down trees for use in heating.
Also, local sources confirmed the occurrence of excessive cutting of all types of non-fruitful trees, especially those planted on both sides of international and local roads between villages and towns, noting that logging has become a profitable trade for many gangs that cut trees at night and sell them during the day without accountability or supervision.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
