quarterly monitoring & evaluation...this consolidated monitoring and evaluation report seeks to...
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QuarterlyMonitoring & Evaluation
Syria Crisis Response
January to March 2013
Emergency Food Assistance to People A�ected by the Syria Crisis
WFP is responding to the current events in Syria, targeting all 14 governorates and reaching all areas regardless of nature of control. Since the start of the conflict, WFP has implemented its operations mainly through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which has a countrywide network and is bound by the principles of the Interna-tional Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. However, in order to scale-up operations and reach more people in need, WFP involved six new partners during the March cycle, in addition to five identified during the February cycle. The addition of these new partners allowed WFP to cover 500,000 more people, bringing the total planned coverage for March to 2 million people. WFP will continue to increase its operations, planning to reach 2.5 million people in April.
While the current security situation and operational constraints limit accessibility, WFP seeks to offer an overview that, relative to its mandate, discusses the needs of the affected population, measures taken to resolve operational constraints and efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in achieving its objectives.
Highlights
Widespread shortages of fuel have led to soaring prices of non-subsidized bread
Cases of malnutrition are surfacing
Increased cases of disease are being reported across the country
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This consolidated monitoring and evaluation report seeks to provide an overview of WFP monitoring activities covering the distribution of food assistance in the months of January, February and March 2013. This report covers the period from January to March 2013.
Introduction
WFP food distribution takes place in monthly cycles, which are usually completed over the course of approximately one and a half months due to access constraints. The dates for each cycle covered in this report are listed below.
WFP has been distributing food rations to those affected by unrest in Syria since December 2011. With a target of 50,000 beneficiaries at the beginning of the operation, WFP progressi-vely scaled up its activities to reach a planned 1.5 million people in January, 1.75 million people in February and 2 million people in March. Despite the difficult operating environment, WFP was able to reach 82 percent of its target in January, 96 percent in February and 93 percent in March. In addition, WFP began a supplementary feeding programme in March, aiming to prevent malnutrition among displaced children below 5 years of age. With this programme, WFP, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, hopes to reach 100,000 Syrian children in collective centres across the country with nutrition support.
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March Cycle
8 March-23 April
February Cycle6 February-30 March
January Cycle8 January-20 February
Distribution CoverageGeneral Food DistributionJanuary
February
Governorates
Ben
efic
iari
es
50,000
0
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
January Planned
January Dispatched
January Distributed
Governorates
Ben
efic
iari
es
50,000
0
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
February Planned
February Dispatched
February Distributed
Governorates
Ben
efic
iari
es
50,000
0
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
March Planned
March Dispatched
March Distributed
March
WFP provides relief food rationsto families affected by the conflict. Food distribution takes place at final distribution points (FDPs) agreed upon with partners. In some cases, the number of planned FDPs exceedsthe number of distribution points due to the reallocation of food from one governorate to another as a result of inaccessibility and/or sudden increase in needs.
During the March cycle, food distribution took place in 194 locations across all 14 govern-orates of Syria in government and non-government controlled areas. The number of FDPsincreased in Al-Hassakeh governorate during the March cycle through partnership with Al-Birr charity. During this cycle,enough food for 1,989,750 people was dispatched by 584 trucks to the main distribution centres. However, food dispatch-es to Ar-Raqqa and Dar’a were incomplete due to insecurity andaccess challenges. Hence, fooddistributions only took place in half of the planned FDPs in thosegovernorates.
Also during the March cycle, for the fourth time in a row, SARC Qamishli did not receive its allocation due to continued insecurity. Access to Dar’a and to Ar-Raqqa governorates wasalso highly limited and the balance of their allocation was therefore redirected to Aleppo where needs are high.
The number of rations taken at checkpoints also increased in March. Visited locations express-ed concern as dozens of rations disappear each month. This was raised at the country office level with SARC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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The Ministry of Social Affairs now provides a facilitation letter for each truck, a measure that aims to facilitate the safe passage of relief items through each government checkpoint. During the February cycle, the WFP warehouse in Adraa, Rural Damascus was hit by mortars and remains inaccessible. Nevertheless, WFP was able to dispatch and distribute the planned requirements to families in the governorate. However, overall, as a result of the planned scale-up, WFP was able to reach more people in almost all governorates during the February cycle as compared to the January cycle.
During the January cycle, WFP faced significant logistical challenges due to the harsh winter weather conditions which prevented all truck movement for two full days. In addition, increased insecurity on the roads caused the delay of many convoys. The road to Quneitra in southwestern Syria was closed during most of the cycle, with enough food for 20,000 people being diverted on the way to Al-Hassakeh and re-directed to Ar-Raqqa. In addition, two WFP warehouses in Damascus were inaccessible due to hostilities. Finding drivers willing to go to hotspots or remote areas also became a challenge. As a consequence of the above, Al-Hassakeh governorate in the northeast of the country and Idleb governorate in the northwest received only 19 percent and 37 percent of their allocations respectively in January. Dispatches to Al-Hassakeh governorate continued to be challenged in February and March due to insecurity. On 19 February, a WFP team was carjacked during a security assessment in the governorate, near Al Shaddadi junction, leading to a suspension of movement in the area. In March, two trucks heading to Al-Hassakeh were detained by armed groups; the food was eventually delivered to SARC Deir-ez-Zor.
In March, the number of rations taken at checkpointsincreased. In February the warehouse in Adraa, Rural Damascus was hit by mortars and remains inaccessible. In January, harsh winter weather conditions prevented all truck movement for two full days. Throughout the three months, finding drivers willing to drive to hotspots or remote areas was difficult.
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Supplementary Feeding
The nutrition situation in Syria is likely to deteriorate as a result of ongoing hostilities and the increased presence of internally displaced families. Thus, in January 2013, WFP and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) signed a Memo-randum of Understanding to address issues of mal-nutrition through nutrition interventions. As part of this partnership, WFP is undertaking supplementary feeding activities focused on moderate acute mal-nutrition management and its prevention through food related approaches.
As a result of delays in receiving commodities, WFP began its supplementary feeding programme, in part-nership with the Ministry of Health, during the March cycle. WFP has allocated an initial 196 mt of Plumpy Doz, enough for 64,000 children, to prevent the spr-ead of moderate acute malnutrition in children bet-ween the ages of 6-59 months. While WFP currently plans to provide supplementary feeding to 46,000 children, it has sufficient Plumpy Doz to scale-up as needed.
With the assistance of the Ministry of Health, supplementary food is currently being distri-buted to children residing in collective centres in the governorates of Aleppo, Idleb, Damascus, Rural Damascus and Homs.
The Ministry of Health and UNICEF conducted trainings in March for 65 participants to ensureeffective implementation of the nutrition programme. Participants included staff from the directorates of health in 12 governorates, SARC, International Medical Corps and four local NGOs.
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Monitoring Coverage
Governorates
5
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
Number of FDPs
Number of Monitired Locations
Governorates
5
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
Number of FDPs
Number of Monitired Locations
Governorates
5
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Idleb
Ham
a
Lattakia
Tartous
Aleppo
Deir-ez-Zor
Al-H
assakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Rural D
amascus
Dam
ascus
Dar’a
Quneitra
Hom
s
As-Sw
eida
Number of FDPs
Number of Monitired Locations
General Food DistributionNumber of FDPs vs. Number of Monitored Locations
March10%of all FDPs monitored
February9%of all FDPs monitored
January16%of all FDPs monitored
During the March cycle, WFP field monitors visited 20 locations, covering 10 percent of the total number of FDPs. This was an increase from the February cycle, when monitors were able to attend distributions in 19 locations in government and non-government controlled areas throughout six governorates. During the January cycle, when WFP faced significant logistical challenges in its attempts to dispatch food for distribution, WFP was able to monitor a total of 22 locations in seven governorates, including Dar’a, Homs, Al-Hassakeh, Tartous, Lattakia, Damascus and Rural Damascus. WFP undertakes monitoring in accessible areas covered by its offices in Tartous, Qamishli, Homs and Damascus.
During the March cycle, monitoring visits to eight loctions were cancelled due to insecurity in Rural Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, while no monitoring was possible in the northeast of Qamishli city, due to the lack of armoured vehicles. Furthermore, Dar’a, Idleb, Deir-ez-Zor and Ar-Raqqa were completely inaccessible to monitors as a result of ongoing clashes and insecurity on the roads.
Currently, only WFP sub-offices in Damascus and Homs are equipped with a sufficient number of armoured vehicles to travel across the governorates (a minimum of two armoured vehicles is required for any mission outside the base). The security situation was relatively quiet in Tartous and Lattakia during the March cycle, enbling monitors to travel with one armoured vehicle or soft skin vehicles.
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Currently, UN staff are only permitted to travel across the country in a convoy of two armoured vehicles.
Supplementary Feeding
During the February cycle, monitoring visits were not possible in northeastern Syria as roads were insecure. Furthermore, the governorates of Hama, Idleb and Aleppo, where fighting was ongoing, could not be reached by monitors with the minimum required security conditions and hence, no visits took place. Monitoring visits were also stopped for two weeks in late February/early March as a total suspension of UN staff movement was enforced by the Designated Official (DO) on 21 February following a bomb attack in central Damascus. However, despite a resumption of UN staff movement, heavy shelling in
Deir-ez-Zor and Ar-Raqqa, which began on 4 March, led to the suspension of all planned monitoring visits in the two governorates. Currently, UN staff are only permitted to travel across the country in a convoy of two armoured vehicles. WFP monitors observed food distributions implemented by SARC and by local charities mandated by SARC. During the March cycle, WFP was able to monitor the work of the new partners NGO Al Batoul Tartous, NGO Al Bir Qamishli, NGO Hefz el Naame, and NGO Aoun Al Waer in Damascus, Tartous, Qamishli and Homs respectively. Visits to mainly urban areas with high concentration of displaced families also took place. WFP monitors con-ducted 106 interviews of beneficiaries during on-site distributions, and only managed to undertake post-distribution monitoring in Tartous with beneficiaries living in public shelters.
Monitoring activities related to the newly launched supplementary feeding programme included a visit of collective centers, where Ministry of Health staff administered Measuring Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurements and distributed Plumpy Doz to caretakers. So far, only collective centres in Damascus have been monitored.
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Hama
Dar’a
Tartous
Al-Hassakeh
Ar-Raqqa
Deir-ez-Zor
Homs
Rural Damascus
Damascus
Quneitra
As-Sweida
Aleppo
Idleb
Lattakia
Non-Monitored Governorate
Monitored Governorate
WFP Monitored Governorates During January April 2013
The number of IDPs and affected host communities continues to increase.
In February, almost 70 percent of interviewed beneficiaries cited the lack of cooking fuel as the greatest challenge to meeting their food needs.
Monitoring Findings
Overview Those interviewed showed signs of high distress and despair, and the psychological state of beneficiaries was a source of concern. As the conflict intensifies, internally displaced families and host communities continue to feel the strain of restricted access to basic commodities, adding to pressures on their general wellbeing.
Monitoring visits highlighted major improvements in the coordination between partners, with regular information sharing occurring between charities and SARC branches working in the same area. Such coordination helps to avoid duplication of food assistance, hence improving the effectiveness of WFP operations.
Population Movements: Monitoring activities confirmed that the number of people on the move continues to increase. Each monitored location registered newcomers on a daily basis and needs continued to rise as host communities became increasingly affected by the current crisis. Monitoring visits in both February and March highlighted recurring trends in the destination of IDPs.
Families recently fleeing from hotspots in Rural Damascus and Homs most often stayed in safer areas within the same governorate, while people from Ar-Raqqa fled to Tal Abyad at the Turkish border or to Deir-ez-Zor city, following the intense clashes in Ar-Raqqa in February.
The governorates of Tartous and Damascus most often hosted families from areas across the country including Aleppo, Idleb, Hama and Al-Hassakeh, with the capital also hosting those fleeing the suburbs of south Damascus (Moadamiyeh, Daraya, Tadamon and Yarmouk). Overall, the number of unfinished buildings occupied by displaced families is on the rise, and improvised shelters such as stores or factories in all governorates are being used to accommodate newcomers.
Cooking Gas: Cooking gas continues to be almost unavailable in Damascus and Rural Damascus, while improvements in supply were noticed in Qamishli, Homs and Lattakia. However, the majority of beneficiaries interviewed relied on electricity and could only cook during specific hours due to frequent power cuts.
During the February cycle, over 60 percent of interviewed beneficiaries informed field monitors that WFP food items took a long time to cook. In Rural Damascus, all beneficiaries reported that their struggle to cook is due to the lack of cooking gas, with some noting the impossibility of finding cooking gas even on the black market. Almost 70 percent of beneficiaries interviewed during the February cycle cited the lack of cooking fuel as the greatest challenge to meeting their food needs.
Bread: Bread was generally available in all visited locations, but monitoring during the January cycle revealed that the price of bread had quadrupled. Some areas in Rural Damascus reported that although bakeries were functioning at normal capacity, they could not cover the needs of the total population, which now includes residents and IDPs. Beneficiaries in Rural Damascus (Keswe, Jeremana and Dmeir) reported that local bakeries did not receive the usual allocated amount of wheat flour and therefore could not meet the needs of the population.
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Some beneficiaries also reported that, due to the distance of government subsidized bakeries, they were compelled to purchase bread from the black market at much higher prices. Benefi-ciaries in Homs mentioned the existence of “distribution centres”, which were helping to dec-rease the pressure on government bakeries. These centres serve as shops managed officiallyby an authorized distributer, who buys bread from government bakeries for 15 SYP/bag and subsequently sells the bread for 20 SYP/bag, a 5 SYP increase due to transportation costs. This increase in price continues to be less than bread purchased on the black market. Monitoring reports from the March cycle highlighted that distribution of wheat flour would be appreciated by beneficiaries in order to avoid queuing in the streets for hours, which many considered to be unsafe. WFP has since added wheat flour to its food basket in order to help beneficiaries prepare their own bread at home.
WFP field monitors interviewed 106 families during the March cycle, 89 during the February cycle and 95 during the January cycle. Some interviews took place in distribution sites, others in public shelters (where WFP food was cooked in communal kitchens or individually) or in family homes. Household visits were conducted on an exceptional basis. Some of the questionnaires were completed as a result of a ‘focus group’ discussion with different families. However, the majority of questionnaires were completed following the feedback of one-on-one interviews with heads of the household.
WFP’s main beneficiaries are vulnerable displaced families who represented 97.2 percent of those interviewed during the March cycle, 95.5 percent during the February cycle and 100 percent during the January cycle. Residents directly affected by the crisis are eligible to bene-fit from WFP rations but have not been included in food distribution thus far since the planned allocation is sufficient only to target the vulnerable IDPs. Al Tal and Jairoud (Rural Damascus), Qamishli (Al-Hassakeh) and Hafez el Naameh charity (Damascus) mentioned the need to increase rations to cover the needs of locally affected population.
Bene�ciary Pro�le
9
Households Headed by Women: During the March cycle, around 10 percent of the interviewed beneficiaries were widows, while 56 percent of the families were headed by women. An increasing number of women mentioned that their husbands were missing or sick, or had migrated to find work in other governorates.
The highest number of house-holds headed by women were reported in Lattakia and Tartous governorate. It was found that the average number of individuals per family was six.
Children: Children of displaced families were not attending school in all locations monitored in Damascus and Rural Damacus during the March cycle. In Bsereh and Tartous, it was reported that children are undertaking occasional work to help their families. During the February cycle, monitoring revealed that the general situation of children is deteriorating. Milk for babies is becoming unaffordable for most families, while disease is spreading easily, especially in public accommodation centers where sanitary conditions are extremely poor (cases of Leish-maniasis were reported in Rural Damascus and Tartous). Again, it was noted that children were not attending school.
Monitoring reports in January highlighted that although the majority of beneficiaries reported that their children could enroll in school, lack of money to payfor books and stationary prevented them from actuallyattending. Security reasons for accessing schools were often also mentioned as obstacles to education.
Governantes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
RuralDamascus
Homs Lattakia Al-Hassakeh
Tartous Damascus
Governantes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
RuralDamascus
Homs Lattakia As-Sweida
Tartous Damascus
Governantes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
RuralDamascus Homs Lattakia Al-
HassakehTartous Damascus
Gender of the Head of Household per Governorate
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
January
February
March
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Distributions were usually well-organized by all partners, but capacities and resources varied from one location to another. During the March cycle, information technology issues affected the efficiency of several partners. SARC partners in Qamishli requested generators to address frequent power cuts as computers could only be used for a few hours per day, hindering the distribution process. In general, local charities mandated by SARC complained about the depletion of their resources as private donations diminish, negatively impacting the level support they are able to provide.
New partnerships increase assistance to areas not previously covered.
Since the needs surpass partner allocations, the majority of beneficiaries receive food rations infrequently.
Management and E�ciency of Food DistributionGeneral Food Distribution
Monitoring showed that Al-Birr charity in Qamishli works in close coordination with SARC and local committees in communities to cover areas that had not previously received any assistance. WFP field monitors noted that Al-Birr aid workers demonstrated high profession-alism in their interaction with beneficiaries. Al Batoul charity in Tartous provides special registration cards for people with special needs (pregnant women, and the disabled) to avoid long queues, while Hafez el Naameh charity in Damascus offers a complete set of services for IDPs (medication, financial support and clothing).Furthermore, household visits are regularly conducted by the partners after registration, to assess the living conditions of the families and estimate their needs.
Registration of Beneficiaries: Field monitors noted that all partners monitored during the March cycle actively stamped the family books of beneficiaries and added registration dates. This ensures that wherever a beneficiary attends a distribution, SARC or the charity, can check for duplication. However, WFP has faced several challenges pertaining to the registration of beneficiaries. During the March cycle, 15 percent of interviewed beneficiaries, many of whom were located in Rural Damascus, faced difficulties in receiving assistance because of missing documentation such as ID cards or family books.
New Partners: Distributions carried out by new WFP partners went smoothly due to their experience in providing relief assistance.
Health: In March, several cases of scabies, leishmaniasis, and hepatitis A were diagnosed in Al Waer (Homs) by Aoun charity, and in Jableh (Lattakia) and in Bsereh (Tartous) by SARC. During the January cycle, cases of hepatitis A and leishmania were registered in Rural Damascus, Al-Hassakeh and Homs. Furthermore, dental problems were noticed in Al-Hassakeh, especially among young children. In all other locations, beneficiaries complained about the lack of access to medical care, highlighting the difficulties faced by patients suffering from chronic diseases. Cases of malnutrition were reported in Tartous and Jairoud in Rural Damascus.
Rent Costs: Interviewed beneficiaries asked mainly for cash assistance, as 42 percent interviewed during the March cycle (51 percent in February and 32 percent in January) were paying rental costs between 8,000 and 25,000 SYP and were staying with up to four other families in one flat in order to share costs. During the March cycle, over 45 percent of those interviewed also informed field monitors of having some form of income, be it from occasional work or a pension. According to January and February reports, remittances were also a considerable form of income for many families. In Rural Damascus, three percent of the households admitted selling humanitarian assistance to cover other living expenses.
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Ration Adequacy and Food Utilization
FebruaryCycle
MarchCycle
JanuaryCycle
FebruaryCycle
MarchCycle
13kg 13kg 15kg
Rice
Veg.Oil
CannedPulses
Bulgur
Lentils
Pasta
Sugar
Tomato Paste
JanuaryCycle
1kg 1kg 2kg
4kg 4kg 3kg
4.55kg 4.55kg 4.55kg
2kg 3kg 3kg
2kg 3kg 3kg
WFP Tomato
Paste
WFP Tomato
Paste
0.4kg 0.4kg n/a
3kg 3kg 2.5kg
Frequency of Distribution: Since the needs surpass partner allocations, the majority of beneficiaries receive food rations infrequently-sometimes once every 2 or 3 months. Difficulty in establishing fixed dates of dispatch per location due to the extremely volatile security situation was also noted. Given that it is common to see many families living in the same flat or house, partners often distributed rations per house rather than per family. This results in families receiving far less than the intended rations. Recently, SARC has informed its branches covering Rural Damas-cus to distribute food rations to the same beneficiaries every two months in order to avoid splitting rations. This strategy was noticed in Homs (Al-Waer and Al-Hamra) and in Rural Damascus (Jairoud) as a means of reaching as many people as possible.
Monitoring activities confirmed the need to increase the number of rations for each FDP in order to cover all vulnerable registered people affected by the current events. Of the interviewed beneficiaries during the March cycle, 76 percent had already received WFP rations at least once, and 68 percent were aware of the composition of the food basket by item. Although 86 percent of the interviewed beneficiaries said they were satisfied with WFP rations, the decrease in the quantity of sugar remains the main
In February, the preference for canned food, due to its convenience, was expressed everywhere.This was less pronounced in Tartous, where cooking gas is more readily available. During the January cycle, the main request was to provide milk for babies. Currently, no organization, including local charities, distributes milk. Needs for milk has reached an alarming level, with beneficiaries in January, February and March citing the need to feed babies as a reason for swapping or selling rations. In January, the main WFP commodities observed to be re-sold were rice, bulgur and macaroni. Most beneficiaries are able to compliment WFP food assistance with additional commodities, although, on average, 70 percent of the beneficiaries (adults and children below the age of 5) interviewed in March consumed only two meals or less per day. Despite receiving food assistance, beneficiaries expressed that they face major challenges cooking WFP food as some items take too long to cook and cooking fuel is limited. For those with an income source, more than 75 percent of their budget is dedicated to food.
During the January cycle, some beneficiaries cited that water supply was not always available. Beneficiaries in Nebek (Rural Damascus) reported that the entire neighbourhood was deprived of water for 40 days.
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source of criticism.
WFP Food Basket
Food Consumption –Frequency and Dietary Diversity
10%
0
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
February MarchJanuary
acceptable food consumption level. Analysis of the beneficiary profile in these areas showed that majority of respondents were paying rent in Lattakia (100percent) and in Al-Hassakeh (60 percent), thereby implying that an income source contributes to an acceptable food consumption situation.
In March, as compared to the February cycle, the number of people in the two categories of poor and borderline food consumption score increased, while those with an acceptable score decreased. However, it is important to note that different groups in different sites were interviewed in February and in March, therefore, no conclusion can be made yet regarding the worsening of the food consumption score.
During the February cycle, cases of malnutrition were reported by SARC and charities in Jeremana, in Rural Damascus, and Doumar, in Damascus. However, no official figures were provided. Furthermore, the spread of skin diseases was also reported by SARC in Rural Damascus, Tartous and Lattakia, while an alarming number of cases of hepatitis A were diagnosed in accommodation centres in Tartous.
Market Price AnalysisOf Syria
Prices of Seven Commodities from January April 2013
Wheat Flour
Rice
Subsidized BreadNon-SubsidizedBreadLentils
Sugar
Tea
Oil
Poor food consumptionBorderline food consumptionAcceptable food consumption
Most (54 percent) interviewed during the March cycle who suffered from poor food consumption were living in public sheters and had no access to any other form of humanitarian assistance. 75 percent of these individuals had no income and were consuming two meals or less per day. More than half of those interviewed in Al-Hassakeh and Lattakia during the same distribution cycle had an
100
200
300
400
500
600
0 January MarchFebruary April
SYP
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Other than Aleppo, the average prices of food commodities remained generally stable at the local level but differed from one another between governorates, with the exception of sugar and oil which remained consistent countrywide. The price of wheat flour rose in Aleppo due to continuous fighting while it decreased in the coastal areas of Lattakia, Tartous and Homs. The cost of imported commodities, such as tea, rose in most governorates due to the depreciation of the Syrian Pound by ten percent during the first four months of the year. On 5 March, the price of petrol/ gasoline rose from 55 to 65 SYP/ litre while diesel prices remained stable since the last increase (by 40 percent) by the Government on 19 January. The latter impacted food prices as in-land transportation use diesel-reliant trucks. There are widespread shortages of fuel, in general in all governorates. Shortages of fuel and wheat flour have resulted in soaring prices of non-subsidized bread. Although there was an ease in prices from January to February, the basic-commodity price of wheat flour, bread and sugar fluctuated and increased. In addition to the above, high levels of general inflation and the loss of livelihoods are leading to high unemployment rates nation-wide, aggravated by the new devaluation of the Syrian Pound ex-changed at a rate of 108 SYP : 1 USD on 10 March while the rate was 90 SYP : 1 USD last December.
Although there was an ease in prices from January to February, the basic-commodity price of wheat flour, bread and sugar fluctuated and increased
Coping Strategies
Seek alternative or additional jobs, workadditional hours
2%3%
Take children out of school
Sell assets4%
Decrease number of meals per day
13%
Switch to less expensive, lower quality food78%
January February
Decrease number of meals per day
4%
Sell assets1% Take children out of school
1%Seek alternative or additional
jobs, workadditional hours
2%
Switch to less expensive, lower quality food92%
Decrease number of meals per day
6%
Sell assets1%
Take children out of school2%
Seek alternative or additional jobs,
workadditional hours
2%
Switch to less expensive, lower quality food84%
Ask for assistance,beg,etc
5%
March
14
Compared to previous months, the percentage of people decreasing the number of meals per day rose from 3.4 percent in February to 5.8 percent in March. Similarly, the proportion of people resorting to begging reached 4.7 percent of interviewed beneficiaries during the March cycle, and concerns mainly women as head of households. During the February cycle, a significant number of beneficiaries (22 percent) in Lattakia andTartous reported selling their assets to obtain food.
