Long queues have been snaking around petrol stations in Mali's capital a month after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a fuel blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.
Our business is at a standstill, one motorbike taxi driver told the BBC, as many others pushed their vehicles to join the petrol lines amidst chaotic scenes in Bamako.
Some of the garages forced to shut last week, paralyzing the city, have now reopened after more than 300 petrol tankers arrived under army escort from Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
The military government has assured residents it is only a temporary issue, but there are fears the new stock will quickly run out - with others complaining about price hikes.
Other cities and areas have also been suffering from shortages, power cuts, and fuel inflation for several weeks. My business is dying, a vendor in the central town of Mopti told the AFP news agency about her problems keeping fish refrigerated.
Mali is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are brought into the country by road from neighbors such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
The junta had popular support when it seized power five years ago, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.
The UN peacekeeping force and French counter-terror forces deployed in 2013 in the wake of the uprising have left, with the military government having hired Russian mercenaries instead. However, the jihadist insurgency has continued, rendering much of the north and east of the country ungovernable.
The latest blockade by al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) - which has seen lorries ambushed, some set alight, and drivers kidnapped - points to the geographic expansion of its insurgency as its fighters target highways linking Mali to its neighbors to the west and south.
Images widely shared on social media highlight the lengthy delays at petrol stations in Bamako, with people waiting for hours.
Those caught up in the queues spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity. I had to push my motorcycle from Djikoroni to Badalabougou, about 9km (nearly six miles) away, without fuel, said one rider. I had all the difficulties in the world [over the past two days]. Another person noted, We are asking fuel traders to make things easier for the population. They have no reason to increase fuel prices because it does not help the country.
Community radio station Nostalgie reported that fuel prices in parts of Bamako have increased by more than 200%.
Following a crisis meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga on Tuesday, the deputy director general of commerce said an action plan was adopted, including sending teams to ensure state-capped prices were adhered to at garages.
The situation will improve in the coming days, said Soumaïla Djitteye, thanking those involved in transporting the fuel for their sacrifice and patriotism and paying tribute to the security forces.
Power cuts are also reportedly exacerbating in Bamako, with an official from the state-owned electricity firm stating the supply had been reduced to six hours a day in some areas, down from the usual 19 hours.
According to French public broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI), Malian officials are in discreet talks with the militants to lift the blockade, with demands including the release of captured fighters and relaxation of fuel restrictions.
There have been reports that JNIM started the blockade due to a ban on selling fuel outside service stations in rural areas, a move intended to cut the jihadists' supplies. RFI also indicated another demand by the militants was for women to wear veils on buses.
