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Deir Ezzor – A sharp rise in housing rents in the city of Deir Ezzor is forcing university students to find alternative accommodation and transport solutions during exam periods, according to local sources from DeirEzzor24.
With rental prices reaching between 1 million and 3 million Syrian pounds per month and contracts often limited to just three to six months—many students are unable to afford a place to stay in the city. The situation is particularly challenging for students coming from the surrounding countryside or from cities such as Raqqa and Hasakah, which are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
As a result, a growing number of students have resorted to hiring private vehicles to transport them to and from Deir Ezzor daily for their exams. Others are sharing apartments to split costs, despite the limited availability of suitable housing.
Hamza Al-Ahmad, a law student from Raqqa, told Deir Ezzor 24 that he arrived early in the city to secure a place to stay before exams begin at the end of the month. “I found a two-room apartment for 1.7 million Syrian pounds. I’m sharing it with a group of students to manage the high cost,” he said.
Still, not all students are as fortunate. Many have opted to sign up with shared transportation services—locally known as “srafis”—to return home after each exam, due to the high rents and a lack of available housing at acceptable prices.
Local observers say the rent crisis is driven by increased population pressure in Deir Ezzor, following the return of dozens of displaced families, along with widespread destruction in residential neighborhoods caused by years of conflict. These factors have significantly reduced housing supply, pushing demand and prices up sharply.
