DAMASCUS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Amid a lingering fuel crisis, and the hardships that have come along as a result of the U.S. sanctions, Syrians had to figure out solutions to make up for the lack of diesel and gas.

In the capital Damascus, the demand for firewood has dramatically increased as people started using it for heaters in the winter and for cooking.

In the southern province of Sweida, which is rich in livestock, people resorted to cow dung as an alternative to survive the harsh winter.

In the central province of Homs, olive pomace, which is basically the olive waste leftovers during the oil extraction process, has become many Syrians' first choice of heating fuel amid the shortage of diesel oil.

In the central province of Hama, the area's richness in pistachio has inspired people to create a heating device that works on pistachio shells.

Experts in Syria and government officials blame the prolonged crisis on the U.S. sanctions and control over key oil and gas fields in the eastern part of the country.

In December 2022, Syria's foreign ministry estimated Syria's losses caused by the U.S. military operations on its soil at 111.9 billion U.S. dollars.

The direct losses are estimated at 25.9 billion dollars, 19.8 billion dollars from the U.S. theft of oil and gas. (emphasis added, Ed.)