The Damascus government's siege and embargo imposed on Aleppo's neighbourhood of Şêxmeqsûd has been going on for 6 years. The embargo and siege conditions have worsened in recent months, with the Damascus government not allowing fuel, food and medicine to enter the neighbourhood. Citizens are having a hard time in the neighbourhood where even the most basic needs cannot be met.

According to the Pharmacists Association officials of the neighbourhood of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrafiyê, the security forces do not allow essential medicines to enter the neighbourhoods. And for those medicines they allow into the area, they demand high amounts of money.

There are 61 pharmacies in the two neighbourhoods that provide medicine to 200 thousand people. According to the Pharmacists Association, the two neighbourhoods need approximately 3 billion Syrian lira worth of medicine every month.

Officials stated that the Damascus government allowed a very small amount of medicine to enter two neighbourhoods through checkpoints under its control, and said that the tax collected was approximately 10 percent of the value of the medicine bill.

Most pharmacies in both neighbourhoods do not have the necessary medications for diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Medicines are very expensive, even if they are available in some places. Because by the time they reach the two neighbourhoods, the prices of medicine increase as taxes are collected many times.

Prices of cancer drugs vary between 1 million and 20 million. These prices exceed the purchasing power of the majority of citizens living in the two neighbourhoods, most of whom are refugees from Afrin Canton.