In March 2023, residents of Douma, Syria, queued beside distribution vehicles for their allotted heating diesel. Syria 24 reported and photographed dozens waiting their turn. Access depended on the Takamol smart-card system and an SMS notification, yet some families had waited more than four months for that message. By the time distribution reached them, winter was almost over. The queue was therefore not merely for fuel. Households had first waited to be recognized in a database, then for a message, and finally for a vehicle to arrive in their district. A digital allocation system could count beneficiaries without matching the season in which heat was needed. The line beside the truck marked the point where administrative time finally caught up with household time—too late for much of the cold weather.