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Syrian authorities say they began rationing fuel as the Suez Canal blockade extended into a sixth day, delaying vital shipments and exacerbating oil shortages in the country.
Syria has been plunged into civil war since 2011 and faces a serious economic crisis. He had already announced a rise of more than 50% in the price of gasoline in mid-March.
Global supply chains have been crippled since Tuesday, when the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground and got stuck diagonally across the canal, blocking the crucial waterway in both directions.
Contrary to previous claims that gusty winds were the cause of the grounding, Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie said on Saturday: “The strong winds and weather factors were not the main reasons for the grounding of the vessel, there may have been technical or human errors. . “
He hopes to refloat the vessel within days, but the days of dredging, digging and pushing the tug have so far been unsuccessful.
Rabie said the longer the Ever Given skyscraper remained in place, the more its load would need to be lightened with the help of cranes, a strategy that experts say would likely extend the rescue effort by several weeks. .
More than 300 ships now sail at each end of the canal, which connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
The Syrian oil ministry said on Saturday that the blockade of the trade route had affected oil imports and slowed the arrival of a ship carrying fuel and petroleum products from the Iranian government ally.
Pending a resolution, “the ministry is rationing the distribution of available petroleum products” to ensure the continuity of essential services, such as bakeries and hospitals, the ministry statement said.
Oil Minister Bassam Tomeh told state television that the cargo was due to arrive at the port of Banias on Friday. He added that if the blockage at the canal persisted, the ship could reorient the route around the southern tip of Africa, a costly detour that many companies were forced to consider due to the blockage.
Before the war in Syria, the country enjoyed relative energy self-sufficiency, but over the past decade an estimated $ 91.5 billion in revenues have been lost to hydrocarbons, Syria’s petroleum minister said in February. .
Pre-war production was 400,000 barrels per day, compared to just 24,000 in 2019.
Up to 80,000 barrels a day came from Kurdish areas beyond government control, where more than 90% of the country’s reserves are located.
The Syrian government blamed the economic crisis on Western sanctions and the ripple effect of the financial catastrophe in neighboring Lebanon, which had long been Syria’s economic lifeline.
With Agence France-Presse
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