In a new development that underscores the deepening fuel crisis in Syria, dozens of empty tanks from Hama province, an area under the control of the Syrian government, have made their way to northeastern Syria. They are now in areas held by the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), marking a preparatory step for oil transfer to assuage the significant fuel scarcity in government-controlled territories.
The Syria TV noted the arrival of these oil transport tanks in the city of Tabqa, west of Raqqa. Under SDF control, these tanks will proceed to oil wells in Al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor. The network noted that this is the most significant movement observed in three months, indicating a growing desperation amid the regime's ongoing fuel crisis.
The SDF, backed by international coalition forces, commands most oil fields in northeastern Syrian provinces. In contrast, aligning with the Syrian regime, Russia oversees most of the central country's gas fields. The ongoing U.S. sanctions against regime-linked oil facilities since 2014 exacerbate the fuel shortage, with specific prohibitions against transactions involving the Banyas and Homs refineries.
Despite these sanctions and geopolitical tensions, the regime's decision to acquire oil through the SDF reveals the acute severity of the crisis. Residents in regime-controlled areas are grappling with near-complete paralysis affecting all sectors, interrupted communications, and a transportation standstill. The capital city, Damascus, and its suburbs are severely affected, with subsidized gasoline delays stretching to almost 50 days and electrical blackouts lasting up to 23 hours daily.
The SDF's autonomous government is known for exporting crude oil to the regime through the "Al-Qaterji Company" tanks and other areas, including the Kurdistan region of Iraq and Syrian opposition-controlled territories. Amid U.S. sanctions imposed on Al-Qaterji in 2018 for facilitating oil transactions between the regime and ISIS, this new development signals a precarious balancing act forced by economic hardships.
As winter approaches, the dire fuel shortage threatens to plunge the crisis-ridden nation into even harsher living conditions, forcing unlikely alliances and complex maneuvers in the quest for essential resources amidst ongoing conflicts and international sanctions.