DAMASCUS — Jamal’s family gathers around the iftar table — for the fast-breaking evening meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — in the town of Harasta, near the Syrian capital Damascus, just before 7 p.m. at sunset, as darkness begins to obscure their faces. 

Syrians in the government-held areas barely get one hour of state electricity daily, spending the rest of their days in complete darkness amid a crippling power crisis plaguing the war-torn country. 

This year, they were hoping to get more electricity during Ramadan. But their hopes were shattered after Minister of Electricity Ghassan al-Zamel announced earlier this month that his ministry will not be able to provide even one hour of power in some areas, due to the lack of generators. 

This year's Ramadan is particularly difficult for Jamal after losing several of his relatives in the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria last month. Some of the family members had fled from the Damascus suburb of Daraya to Idlib in 2016, after the government and rebels reached an agreement to evacuate fighters and residents to northern Syria after a yearslong siege. Since then, the family has been scattered around the country, only keeping in touch via video calls.