Due to the gasoline crisis created by the economic embargo, the Syrian government decided on Saturday to cease operations or restrict working hours at ministries and public institutions to the bare minimum.

This decision will take effect next week, according to a government notification, and was taken owing to low temperatures and the necessity to dedicate the country's fuel supplies to heating residents' homes.

The gasoline crisis, according to the notice, is the consequence of unjust economic sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union, which have been aggravated by harsh weather conditions.

Syria attributes the deepening of the fuel crisis to the control of over 90% of its oil fields by the United States, as well as the embargo and economic sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies.

This country used to generate around 380,000 barrels of oil per day before the conflict, but owing to the occupation and terrorist assaults, that number has reduced to only 100,000 barrels, with 80,000 of those being plundered by US forces. The country requires more than 165,000 barrels of oil each day.

A cold front is expected to hit the country in the following eight days, with temperatures dropping to -10 degrees Celsius in some hilly places, according to meteorological projections.