Syrian prelate: ‘tolls’ extracted by rebels have dramatically increased price of food

May 17, 2013

A Syrian Catholic prelate has told the Fides news agency that “tolls” levied by rebels have increased the price of food “almost tenfold” in some areas of the country.

“The militias of the Free Syrian Army and jihadist groups make all vehicles coming from the areas of Damascus and Aleppo carrying goods pay heavy tolls,” said Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo of Hassaké-Nisibi. “They say that the money is used to buy weapons, they are like ‘bribes for the revolution.’ This is why now the prices of food in our cities and in our villages are almost tenfold.”

“The scourge of kidnapping is what causes major suffering for many families,” added the prelate, who said that the number of abductions in his area has surpassed 100.

“A solution can only come if international agents, starting from the United States and Russia, will be able to put in brackets the respective interests and take account of the expectations and real suffering experienced by our people,” Archbishop Hindo added.

 

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Further information:

• Archbishop Hindo: the "bribes for the revolution" of the anti-Assad militias (Fides)