Money Woes For ISIS Have Members Selling Chickens And Eggs To Make Ends Meet

ISIS is so low on cash these days that members of the terrorist organization have reportedly turned to selling chickens and eggs on the street, according to residents of Sirte, the Libyan city that has been under ISIS control since early 2015. 

Though the Islamic State imposed its own taxation system for Sirte, political and economic instability in Libya has taken its toll on the organization.

"When IS took over Sirte, they seized many properties, including farms, and some of these are very large chicken farms," one former resident, Ali, told Middle East Eye.

"Relatives tell me IS people can now be seen standing in the streets in their black outfits with their faces covered, selling both the eggs and the chickens. And they are selling the chickens for a very cheap price of just one or two dinars [approximately one one-thousandth of a U.S. dollar]." 

In the past, ISIS has maintained its cash supply by selling priceless antiquities looted from the regions it occupies, and capturing lucrative oil fields.

In addition to its poultry business, ISIS has been collecting rent from shopkeepers, despite the fact that many own the property, and forcing locals to pay for public services like street cleaning and garbage collection. According to Newsweek, though ISIS has banned smoking, its members also continue to sell cigarettes to earn more money.