Emergency Fuel Dispatch
The Syrian Petroleum Company began loading 250 tankers of diesel at the Baniyas terminal on 25 October 2026 for urgent delivery to the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, where filling stations had run short in recent days. The operation was presented as an immediate measure to relieve a worsening shortage of the fuel, known locally as mazut.
Shipments to other provinces are continuing in parallel with the dispatch to the north, and officials said loading was under way at the time of the announcement.
Pipeline Attack Behind Crisis
The shortage followed attacks on the pipelines that carry petroleum products between Baniyas and Homs, which halted deliveries to depots in Homs. With that route down, loading was concentrated at Baniyas, and fuel orders were delayed over the preceding days.
The damaged line has since been repaired and is being re-pressurized to resume pumping diesel toward Homs. A media official at the Ministry of Energy said the step should ease pressure on the Baniyas terminal and speed deliveries to the north.
Stocks and Incoming Shipments
Diesel is available in the company's warehouses, and three tankers are anchored offshore ready to unload. Additional contracted vessels are due to arrive in succession, keeping supply moving as distribution resumes.
Strain on Daily Life
The lack of diesel in Aleppo and Idlib had disrupted commercial shipping, bakeries, public transport, olive presses, and the delivery of drinking water, sectors that depend on the fuel to run generators, vehicles, and processing equipment.
Demand has climbed with the arrival of autumn and the approach of winter, when households across the north rely on diesel for heating. The seasonal rise added to the pressure created by the pipeline outage.
Expected Relief
Authorities said conditions should improve gradually over the coming days as the tankers reach the two provinces and pipeline flows toward Homs are restored. No specific delivery dates were provided for the shipments.