Truck drivers have launched partial work stoppages and sit-ins over the last week, mainly in Jordan’s impoverished southern provinces, to demand that the government reduce diesel prices, saying mounting costs have led to losses for their businesses.

The crisis has led to congestion in the country’s main Red Sea port of Aqaba where cargo has piled up, and has disrupted normal trailer- truck transport of imported goods to the capital Amman and other cities.

Some shops in the provincial cities of Maan, Tafileh and Karak announced business closure on Wednesday in solidarity with the striking lorry drivers, witnesses and drivers said.

“They have not left us with dignity, officials don’t feel for us. We cannot feed our kids anymore,” said Abdullah Kreishan, a truck driver from the city of Maan.

Some activist strikers have threatened to stage street protests in provincial cities on Friday.

Anger with the authorities over worsening living standards, corruption and high fuel prices has in the past triggered civil unrest in Jordan.

The government has promised to look into the strikers’ demands but has said it already has paid over 500 million dinars ($700 million) to cap fuel price hikes this year. 

Under an International Monetary Fund’s structural reform program, fuel prices are adjusted monthly in line with global market fluctuations.

Jordan has a fleet of about 20,000 trailers, many owned by individuals, who say living conditions are worsening and high inflation is making it harder to make money.

Haulage of goods and cargo to the main neighboring markets has not been severely affected.