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Hunger knocks on Syrian parliament’s door amid severe living crisis

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported that a member of Syria’s parliament has warned that some of his colleagues were facing hunger, amid a severe living crisis which is expected to worsen with a government decision to increase fuel prices.
On his Facebook page, MP Nasser Youssef Al-Nasser called on Prime Minister Hussein Arnous to resign, pointing to corruption and the spread of hunger and poverty among citizens. He said that as a citizen before he was a member of the People’s Assembly, he also starved.
The government has repeatedly increased the prices of fuel and lifted subsidies on electricity, bread, medicine, and most basic materials.

Addressing Parliament on Sunday, Arnous said: “To fight corruption in the distribution of petroleum products, a direct cash support will be allocated to those eligible after raising the prices of subsidized gasoline and diesel fuel to be equal to the prices in the global market.”
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In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a Damascus resident told Asharq Al-Awsat that she was “shocked” by the premier’s statements, pointing to the people’s despair and sufferings.
Feelings of disappointment also prevailed over “the well-off”, including families, who have relatives outside the country and who receive monthly remittances ranging between $100-200.
One of them told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Every time they raise the prices of petrol and diesel, everything becomes more expensive, and the poor become more miserable…”
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shocked the members of the Security Council in a report he submitted recently in this regard, which Asharq Al-Awsat published a copy of.
Guterres sounded the alarm on the depth of the Syrian tragedy, saying that 90 percent of Syrians live in “poverty” and 60 percent suffer from “food insecurity.” In addition, as many as 7.78 million Syrians did not have access to an internationally acceptable minimum number of doctors or medical attendants.
Economists told Asharq Al-Awsat that if Arnous’ statements were implemented, this would lead to “unprecedented price hikes that would further erode the purchasing power.”
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Government-controlled areas have long suffered from a stifling fuel crisis due to the control of the Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces over the oil and gas fields in the north and north-east of the country, and the difficulty in importing oil as a result of the US sanctions.
In November, the government announced that it would raise electricity prices for all categories of household consumption by one hundred percent, amid a severe power crisis in government-controlled areas, with power outages reaching between 22 and 23 hours a day.
source: aawsat
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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