| The Syrian crisis and international sanctions imposed on the country are having a negative effect on neighboring Iraq to the east. Syria has long been a source of imports for Iraq. Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, the prices of consumer goods, especially the prices of fruits and vegetables, have witnessed a significant rise in Iraq, meaning that those who get by on very little are forced to get by on even less. "Since the close of the Syria-Iraq border, the price of vegetables has risen significantly," said an Iraqi resident. "Now we can only afford to buy half a kilo of tomatoes, while in the past, we could buy one kilo." Before the Syrian crisis, one kilogram of tomatoes cost less than 1000 dinars (0.86 US dollars), but now the price has risen by almost three times. Other vegetable prices have also risen. "Now we have limited importing channels. We can only import from Turkey and Iran," said an Iraqi shopkeeper. "The price is very high. It is incredible. One kilo of tomatoes can cost as much as 2500 dinars (2.15 US dollars). People are quite surprised by this price." According to Ali Hussein, an economist in Iraq, the price of consumer goods is greatly affected by neighboring countries. The trade volume between Syria and Iraq once reached 5.9 billion US dollars, but since sanctions were imposed on Syria, bilateral trade volume has dropped significantly, having a great impact on the Iraqi market and economy, Ali said. "In domestic Iraq, the need for consumer ... |
