High prices blight Ramadan in Syria's Idlib

IDLIB, Syria — Syrians in the northern city of Idlib are struggling to prepare food for Ramadan amid high prices in the war-torn country. 

"There are no Ramadan preparations because everything is expensive", said Um Hassan, a displaced woman from Deir ez-Zor who has to provide for 13 members of her family.

Abdulrahman Muhajir, another displaced person from Homs, said Ramadan in the past was much easier to prepare for.

"Now, we are suffering from expensive prices, we are suffering from this epidemic, and we are suffering from a thousand things and no-one is helping you with anything," he said.

Some three million people are crammed into Idlib.

About a million people were displaced in the early months of the year in the wake of a Russian-backed Syrian offensive.  There have also been intense clashes between regime forces and Turkish troops,who control part of the province.

Ankara and Moscow agreed to a ceasefire in Idlib in early March amid fears of war between Russia and Turkey, after Turkey launched direct attacks on Russian-backed Syrian troops in the province. 

Both sides have been accused of violating the ceasefire, however.

Reporting by Associated Press

 Video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed