MSDThe Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) is deeply concerned by the rapidly worsening economic and living conditions across Syria. Poverty and economic hardship continue to expand at an unprecedented rate, while citizens face a sharp decline in purchasing power and a sustained rise in the cost of basic goods and services. At the same time, access to essential public services is deteriorating, opportunities for a dignified livelihood are shrinking, and public frustration is growing amid a widespread sense of uncertainty about the country’s future.
The challenges facing Syrians today extend far beyond a temporary economic downturn. They reflect deeper structural problems rooted in the country’s political and governance framework. The continued failure to implement meaningful reforms in public administration and economic management has left Syria trapped in a cycle of ineffective policymaking and institutional stagnation. Decision-making remains concentrated within narrow interests, limiting transparency, restricting broader participation, and preventing the country from benefiting from the expertise and capabilities of its people. As a result, citizens remain largely excluded from meaningful involvement in shaping the future of their country.
The SDC believes that the continuation of current policies is accelerating the country’s decline and further weakening society’s ability to withstand growing economic and social pressures. It is also contributing to increased migration. At the same time, dependence on patronage networks and informal systems of influence continues to expand, undermining social cohesion, weakening national unity, and deepening divisions within Syrian society.
It has become increasingly clear that economic recovery cannot be achieved in the absence of meaningful political reform. Sustainable solutions require the restoration of effective and accountable public institutions, the establishment of a transparent legal and regulatory environment, and decisive measures to combat corruption and end impunity. A healthy economy depends on the rule of law and public trust—both of which require genuine political participation and equal citizenship rights for all Syrians.
Consistent with its national vision, the SDC expresses its full support for peaceful and legitimate public protests calling for solutions to the country’s worsening economic and humanitarian conditions.
The SDC emphasizes that that addressing the current crisis requires the following steps:
• Launching a comprehensive political reform process that enables all Syrians to participate meaningfully in shaping the future of their country.
• Rebuilding state institutions on the principles of citizenship, professional competence, and institutional independence. Public institutions must serve the interests of society as a whole and operate free from undue political influence and entrenched power networks.
• Adopting fair and transparent economic policies that prioritize productive sectors and ensure national resources are directed toward essential public services.
• Implementing urgent social protection measures for the most vulnerable segments of society. Immediate action is needed to ensure basic living standards and safeguard human dignity.
• Combating systemic corruption, which remains one of the primary drivers of economic decline and a major obstacle to development and recovery
• Creating the necessary national conditions for a comprehensive and sustainable political solution. Such a process is essential to ending the cycle of conflict, addressing the causes of fragmentation.
The SDC believes that the rights and dignity of the Syrian people can no longer be postponed or treated as a matter for political bargaining. The crisis has reached a critical stage, and it is no longer possible to ignore its consequences or delay meaningful action. Any further postponement of fundamental reforms will exacerbate the social, economic, and institutional challenges facing both the Syrian people and the state.
Today, Syria needs a unifying national will capable of restoring the state’s role as a guarantor of citizenship, justice, and equal rights for all. The country also requires a renewed national project that reconnects political decision-making with society’s needs, links economic policy to social justice, and places the well-being of citizens at the center of governance.
Syrian Democratic Council
June 24, 2026
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