Syria to close govt agencies for 2 days amid fuel crisis

By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Syrian government has decided to close state agencies for two days in December due to severe fuel shortages caused by the disruption in the arrival of supplies and Western sanctions. Syrian state media reported Tuesday that the decision to close the institutions on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 come at a time when many employees have been unable to make it to work because public transportation has been badly affected by the crisis. It comes during the winter season, when many people rely on diesel for heating. Iran, a main backer of President Bashar Assad since the conflict began, decided last month to increase oil supplies to Syria by 1 million barrels a month.