As Ramadan Nears, Syrians Feel the Pinch of a Cash Shortage

Days before the start of Ramadan, lines of people snaked down the stairs outside a bank in Syria’s capital, Damascus, waiting for hours to withdraw the equivalent of about $15 for the requisite holiday shopping.

The new government has imposed severe daily withdrawal limits of about that amount at Syrian banks, dampening what would usually be a festive time as many struggle to buy even the basics for the holy fasting month.

“That can buy maybe a kilo and a half of meat,” said Sleiman Dawoud, a 56-year-old civil engineer among those waiting in the A.T.M. line to withdraw that $15 — 200,000 in Syrian pounds. “But what about the bread, and vegetables and fruits? Ramadan is coming, and we need to spend.”

Ra’if Ghnaim, 75, a retired civil servant, fretted about how he would afford the tradition of giving children small amounts of money at the end of Ramadan as he waited to take out some cash.

“How are we going to celebrate and give gifts to the children?” he asked.

This year, Ramadan falls three months after the ouster of the Assad dictatorship that ruled Syria with an iron first for more than five decades. The rebel coalition that has taken over the government in Damascus has instituted several economic changes.