economic stagnation in al Raqqa
Reliable sources have informed SOHR that the markets of the city of al- Raqqa have witnessed in a stagnation in sales and purchases due to increasing in food prices that is related with the increasing of fuel prices such gas and diesel, where the purchasing power of people has sharply decreased due to rising of fuel prices since the beginning of U.S. and allied strikes on Islamic State, Jabhat al Nusra and other Islamic movements that contain non- Syrian fighters. The oil- traders have doubled the prices of fuel in some areas although that the petroleum engineers have confirmed to SOHR that IS, which controls the oil- wells and oilfields in the province of Deir Ezzor, has not raised the prices after coalition strikes where they have still sold the barrel of fuel about 5 to 7 thousand Lira and the price varies from well to well. The city of al- Raqqa have also witnessed tension due to the poor economic situation and due to the IS fighters carelessness of high prices where they come to luxury food restaurants in the city. Some people have complained to SOHR activists that “al- Hesba patrols” (patrols that pursue the people who break the law) have roamed the streets without any accounting for traders who increased the prices. They have only pursued those who smoke cigarettes or those who do not go to pray. A resource has confirmed to SOHR that some members claimed to be from an “ al Hesba patrol” arrested a woman in pretext of lifting her robe when she was walking in a street where there was no electricity there.