The economic hardship has been made worse by the pandemic restrictions, increased Western sanctions on the Syrian government and its allies for their role in the war, and years of corruption and mismanagement.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 80 per cent of Syrians live under the poverty line. In recent months, fuel and wheat have been in short supply, driving the government to reduce subsidies and ration resources.
The Central Bank said the new note was issued “to meet the need of the market, facilitate cash transactions and reduce their costs”.
The newly-designed banknote bears on one side a photo of a soldier saluting the Syrian flag. The 2000 lira note, introduced in 2017, bears a photo of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
AP
