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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Barzani Foundation delivered aid on Wednesday to hundreds of families in the Kurdish city of Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava) as residents stage their 16th protest in six weeks demanding intervention amid warnings that continued inflation could trigger a potential "hunger revolution."
Diyala Ali, 30, a widow raising her two young children and caring for her elderly mother who suffers from cancer, told Rudaw's Vivian Fatah that poverty and illness have left her struggling to provide basic necessities.
"My children are deprived of everything. I even sold my gas cylinder so I could buy medicine for my mother," she confessed.
The assistance comes as residents across Qamishli face rising inflation, high fuel and bread prices, and deteriorating economic conditions, prompting repeated demonstrations.
Diyala’s story drew the attention of The Barzani Charity Foundation, who immediately brought her assistance.
The Foundation has delivered more than 500 truckloads of aid into Rojava in a collection campaign headed by Rudaw to distribute to those in need.
"Our assistance includes food supplies, cleaning materials, blankets, and mattresses," said foundation member Masrour Taj al-Din.
According to Taj al-Din, the foundation has delivered more than 500 truckloads of aid to western Kurdistan (Rojava), including 370,245 liters of diesel, as well as medical supplies and flour, benefiting more than 29,070 vulnerable families collected through Rudaw's campaign in the Kurdistan Region.
Despite the aid efforts, many residents say the rising cost of living continues to outweigh available assistance. Diyala said increasing prices have made daily life even more difficult for her family and many others.
Crushing inflation has driven Diyala and other struggling families to stage protests. Qamishli marks its 16th demonstration in a month and a half as residents call on the government for urgent solutions to address the economic crisis and direct measures to curb price hikes.
"The people are hungry. Fuel has become expensive, diesel has become expensive, bread has become expensive, there is no electricity, and life has turned dark," protester and politician Hassan Salih said. "We will continue to resist, and a hunger revolution will emerge."
The UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) in May estimated that 7.2 million people in the country are acutely food insecure, with many families forced to reduce or skip meals altogether amid severe cuts in humanitarian aid programs and the suspension of a nationwide bread subsidy program.
