Unimaginable price hikes in Syria with a month’s salary enough to buy 10 loaves

Syrians are rushing to banks with sacks full of cash, as seen in photographs from Damascus, where people carry heaps of devalued banknotes, sometimes stuffed into large garbage bags.

According to Bild, inflation in Syria has been uncontrollable for years. The current price levels have reached unimaginable heights: the average monthly income in the country is enough to purchase a maximum of 20 liters of gasoline or just 10 loaves of bread.

The new Syrian leadership faces a daunting task of stabilizing the economy, mobilizing international aid, and restoring trust in the Syrian lira. With little hope for a quick improvement in the situation, people are trying to protect themselves from inflation by purchasing foreign currencies, primarily U.S. dollars or euros.