The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced a significant salary increase for its personnel on Sunday, aiming to counter the effects of increasing monetary inflation in Syria. The minimum monthly salary has now been revised to approximately $75 a month, while the maximum has been adjusted to around $590.
Lukman Ahmi, co-chair of the Democratic Green Party*, shared the details on his social media account.
The salary rise occurs against the backdrop of a worsening economic situation and protests in southern Syria. According to the United Nations, the Syrian pound has lost over 80% of its value in just three months, leading to skyrocketing prices for essential goods. “The Syrian economy has been battered by the conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 2011,” reported Al Arabiya News.
The Syrian pound was trading at around 14,300 to the US dollar on Wednesday, a drastic decline from its value of 47 to the dollar at the start of the Syrian conflict. Most of the population has been pushed into poverty, according to the United Nations.
(*) The Democratic Green Party of North and East Syria (Partiya Kesk a Demokrat) is a political party that operates within the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
