The Syrian citizen lives his day without dinner, not out of fear of hunger, may it not happen, but due to the additional costs it entails. Skipping dinner today means depriving oneself of breakfast tomorrow.

Between work, life's troubles, and its circumstances, the citizen's worry remains "What will we eat?" Despite limited options for a single person, or even a family, having three meals a day is normal and healthy. But for a single person, it's different.

A small calculation of the monthly expenses borne by a single Syrian shows fixed costs at the start of the month, like renting a room in an informal settlement, where the cheapest room costs around 200,000 Syrian pounds. Additionally, with a moderate diet of 15 bread loaves per month, it amounts to around 60,000 pounds. Even the basic internet package, priced at 40,000 pounds for moderate use, contributes.

The total unavoidable monthly costs amount to 300,000 Syrian pounds, a figure beyond debate.

ghadeer Ibrahem

Regarding daily expenses, anyone typically starts the day with breakfast, has lunch, and ends with a light dinner. However, here is where doubts arise, particularly concerning the last meal. For instance, a young Syrian needs two eggs daily, priced at 4,400 pounds currently, summing up to 132,000 pounds per month.

For lunch, as most young individuals spend their days working, they require something quick to stave off hunger pangs. For example, a falafel sandwich, priced at 6,000 pounds on average, totals around 180,000 pounds per month. Opting for fries instead would cost around 240,000 pounds per month. If one prefers cheesy fries, priced at an average of 11,000 pounds, the monthly cost rises to 330,000 pounds.

Considering the aforementioned expenses, a quick calculation of two eggs for breakfast, a falafel sandwich for lunch, along with fixed monthly expenses (rent, bread, and internet), amounts to 612,000 Syrian pounds. With fries, it becomes 672,000 pounds, and with cheesy fries instead of regular fries, it's 762,000 pounds.

This calculation assumes the individual only drinks water, doesn't smoke (which is rare given these circumstances), and excludes any additional costs for medical emergencies or social outings, considering an average daily salary after the recent increase is 800,000 Syrian pounds.

These figures apply if the person manages with just one falafel sandwich, without having to buy an extra one. In that case, the monthly expense would be 732,000 Syrian pounds. Even then, it's not just the birds that won't be chirping.