This Ramadan, a radio station in Syria's capital Damascus presented cash-strapped listeners with a challenge: plan a meal to break the fast for just $3. Diala Hasan's cooking show on Sham FM used to feature recipes for sumptuous Ramadan feasts. But in government-held parts of Syria, where a five-year war has devastated the currency and unemployment is rife, listeners' budgets are stretched to the limit. "We decided to make a programme that demonstrates thrifty recipes costing 1,500 Syrian pounds ($3) to match peoples' incomes," Hasan said. "We're not using lamb, expensive spices, or even almonds," she said.
Salaries in areas controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's forces have dropped dramatically with the 92 percent devaluation of the pound since the war began. A UN report published in April estimated 83.4 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line, compared with 28 percent before the war.
Living costs have risen so much that charities have nearly doubled the number of iftar meals they distribute to the needy during Ramadan. "We distributed 130,000 meals in 2013 compared to 230,000 in 2015. But this year, we may reach as many as 500,000," said Issam Habbal, who heads the charity "Saed" (Help).
Desserts and syrup-covered sweets are an integral part of iftars across the Middle East and are a special delicacy in the Syrian capital. But today, they have become too expensive for many Damascenes. In Midan, a neighbourhood in southern Damascus, Ahmad Qaysar tended his bakery, which sold a mix of Arabic sweets. But few customers were buying. In another shop, Shawkat Qornfola, 67, said he won't be able to buy desserts for his grandchildren this year.
The price of food also makes it hard to invite guests. "Before the war, we used to invite everyone over each Friday, but now we don't have the means," said Riad Mahayni, who works at the national water service. Leaning against the wall of Damascus's citadel, Mohsen, a pistachio seller, said every month is Ramadan now in Syria. "Because of the rising prices, we fast the whole year," he said.
