1- Introduction
The food security situation in Syria has drastically deteriorated since last year. In 2023, an estimated 15 million people will need some form of food and agriculture assistance, representing 68 percent of the total population. At least 12.1 million people are estimated to be food insecure, including all 2 million people living in camps who are deemed to be 100 percent food insecure, and 2.9 million people are estimated to be at risk of food insecurity, an alarming increase of people at risk who could shift to become food insecure during 2023 if the crisis continues at same worsening levels. The WFP remote food security monitoring and recent food security and livelihood assessment in Syria (FSA, FSLA) estimate that seven in ten Syrian families are food insecure with the highest concentration in Idleb (74 percent), Quneitra and Al-Raqqa (68 percent), Aleppo (61 percent), Deir-ez-Zor (56 percent), Al-Hasakeh and Hama (53 percent) Governorates, as the compounded crises have touched every aspect of people’s lives, with access to food as one of the most pressing needs. Idleb Governorate continues to be impacted by the unstable security situation and the widespread economic crisis, which hit local communities as well.[2]
Trend analysis from the Joint Food Security and Nutrition Assessment 2022[3] has shown that the level of acute malnutrition among children and women is steadily rising in the country since 2019, whilst stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and uptake of infant and young child feeding, and care practices remain concerning. While it is early to see a significant increase in acute malnutrition following the earthquake, the nutrition cluster in NW Syria is anticipating an increased caseload of just over 10,000 cases associated with the earthquake.[4] Children and mothers in Northwest Syria are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Between May 2019 and June 2021, chronic malnutrition rates among children aged under five jumped from 19% to 24.5%. Acute malnutrition also prevails among pregnant and lactating women with many facing increased health risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Children in Northwest Syria also suffer from high stunting rates, which can impact their educational prospects and overall ability to live happy and active lives. According to World Vision’s latest assessment in the area, around 60% of families flagged the distribution of micronutrient supplements or powder as one of the most important nutrition needs due to growing food insecurity.[5]
In northwest Syria, 90 percent of the population, 4.1 million people (12.1 M people are estimated to be food insecure), were already relying on humanitarian assistance prior to the earthquake. Food insecurity had already reached alarming levels in 2021 and continued to deteriorate throughout 2022. In 2021 and 2022, Syria ranked 106 out of 113 countries assessed in the Global Food Security Index.[6]
2- Factors that have increased food insecurity in Northwest Syria
2.1. Conflict after 2011
Northwest Syria has been facing a protracted conflict since the early days of the Syrian civil war in 2011. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of millions of people, causing massive disruption to livelihoods, infrastructure, and services.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the number of civilians experiencing food insecurity in the country has grown substantially. Syria is among the six countries with the lowest levels of food security worldwide. At the end of 2022, 12 million people were food insecure, and 2.5 million were severely food insecure. Individuals in these categories comprised more than half of the entire Syrian population. The present report highlights a range of violent conflict-related events that have contributed to the rise in food insecurity in Syria since 2017. The conflict has resulted in the destruction of significant numbers of Syrian bakeries, which has contributed to shortages of bread, which is a staple of the Syrian diet. Attempts to respond to Syria’s food insecurity with humanitarian food aid have been severely hindered by access restrictions and violent attacks on food distribution efforts. Not only does shelling, artillery, and missile fire itself destroy crops, but insecurity generated by these actions also prevents farmers from accessing their lands. This was the case in northwestern Syria in the summer of 2019, when farmers were prevented from harvesting the crops they had planted. Subsequent crop losses for farmers in these areas were estimated to be between 25% and 100%.[7]
Crop destruction by fire: between 2017 and 2022 there were at least 198 incidents where crops or farmland was set on fire. The vast majority (91%) of all incidents were recorded in the summer months of May and June when Syria’s key crop – wheat – is harvested. Incidents peaked in 2020, with over 40% of all cases recorded that year, while only five were reported in 2022.[8]
The destruction of bakeries affected civilians, for whom bread forms a staple part of their diet. In some cases, Syrian bakeries produced three tons of bread a day before the war, and civilians were dependent on them for bread. Hence, the inoperability of bakeries is likely to have had significant implications for the food security of Syrians and to have contributed to the country’s bread crises.[9]
2.2. Drought after 2016
The area has also experienced a severe drought in recent years, which has added to the already precarious food security situation.
The key drivers of food insecurity in Syria have been both human and climate change induced. Syria suffered a significant drought between 2006 and 2010, while in 2020 and 2021 unprecedented levels of drought and rainfall scarcity were reported. As a result, the percentage of irrigated land in the country has almost halved. The high dependency on the import of a number of commodities, aggravated by poor agricultural harvest seasons in the country, has left Syria susceptible to high global food prices. The World Food Program reported that between 2020 and 2022 food prices in the country increased by 532%. As a result, 90% of the Syrian population is currently estimated to live in poverty. The Syrian economy has been further affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has contributed to further driving up food and fuel prices. The damage and destruction of water infrastructure and facilities constitute a major humanitarian and health issue in Syria and have contributed to a shortage of water to irrigate Syrian crops and farmlands.[10]
These attacks exacerbate an already difficult situation for Syrian agriculture and food production. Syria has a semi-arid geography, meaning that ensuring access to water has always been “tenuous”. Added to this, drought has increased demand: some of the worst droughts on record were experienced in 2020 and 2021, especially in the northern and eastern regions of Syria. Consequently, efficient water systems are crucial for the supply of water to the population and, most importantly, the irrigation of agricultural lands and crops. Indeed, in 2019 Syria’s annual water requirements were estimated at approximately 12.9 billion m3, with agriculture thought to use 86-89% of this.[11]
When the Syrian crisis began in 2011, water was an important factor in sparking the revolt because the drought exacerbated the existing socio-economic distress. Since the conflict began, it has proved catastrophic for Syrian water resources; damaged infrastructure left entire regions without irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power, rendering them increasingly vulnerable to seismic activity.[12] The effects of climate change on agriculture can result in lower crop yields and nutritional quality due to for example drought, heatwaves, and flooding as well as increases in pests and plant diseases. The effects are unevenly distributed across the world and are caused by changes in temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels due to global climate change. A range of measures for climate change adaptation may reduce the risk of negative climate change impacts on agriculture (e.g. changes in management practices, agricultural innovation, institutional changes, climate-smart agriculture),[13] and are sometimes considered part of changes toward a sustainable food system alongside (or in combination with) changes that reduce global warming from the food system.[14] The water crisis and drought-like conditions affecting Syria are coupled with existing damage and neglect of farmlands and irrigation systems as a result of a decade of crisis. Around 40 percent of the irrigated agricultural areas are no longer able to rely on the availability of water. Insufficient and poorly distributed rainfall in the 2020/2021 agricultural season, together with several heatwaves, the high cost of agricultural inputs, limited availability of irrigation water, and the high cost of fuel for pumping resulted in a contraction of the harvestable cereal area. The water scarcity, damaged irrigation infrastructure, and the low rainfall level have forced most farmers, especially in Rural Damascus and rural Aleppo governorates, to rely on surface wells to cover part of their irrigation needs. This will have a negative impact on groundwater decline and depletion, leading to high pumping costs.[15]
2.3. Earthquake Feb 6th, 2023
In February 2023, a powerful earthquake hit the border region between Turkey and Syria, causing widespread damage and loss of life. The quake caused further displacement of people, adding to the already massive numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region. The impact of conflict, drought, and the earthquake on the people of northwest Syria has been severe.[16]
The earthquake impacted 3.7 million children and pregnant and lactating women and may exacerbate the nutrition situation of vulnerable children and women which was already alarming.
In addition to climate complexities, food prices, and the ongoing internal conflict, the various humanitarian crises in Syria worsened in February 2023 as a consequence of the earthquake in northwest Syria and southern-central Turkey. Hostilities in the region of the earthquake have hampered the delivery of aid, which led to accusations that life-threatening aid was being politicized due to the ongoing conflict.[17]
Against the backdrop of this complex crisis, Syria and Türkiye were hit by devastating earthquakes on February 6th, 2023, which only added to already compounded humanitarian needs and vulnerabilities, particularly in Northwest Syria. The earthquakes caused immense destruction and suffering in both countries, creating needs greater than any other natural disaster World Vision has responded to in over a decade. More than 50,000 men, women, and children have been killed, and more than 850,000 Turkish and Syrian children were displaced following the destruction of tens of thousands of buildings and homes on both sides of the border. In Northwest Syria, 4,500 deaths and 8,700 injuries have been reported so far, however, the number of casualties is still expected to rise as many people remain unaccounted for. More than 10,000 buildings have been partially or completely destroyed, and tens of thousands of people are seeking refuge in collective shelters or already overcrowded IDP camps, where some tents are now housing up to 15-17 people from families of 5-7. Humanitarian aid and search and rescue efforts were slow to reach Northwest Syria in the first weeks following the earthquakes, due to access challenges and funding not materializing quickly enough. As a result, local search and rescue teams could only comb 5% of affected areas in time to pull out any survivors stuck under the rubble due to limited equipment and capacity.[18]
3- Recommended humanitarian interventions to enhance the food security situation of affected people in Northwest Syria
Humanitarian assistance for food security plays a critical role in supporting vulnerable populations affected by conflict, natural disasters, and emergencies. Without access to food and nutrition, individuals and families are at risk of malnutrition, hunger, and even death. The economic and social impacts of food insecurity are also significant, including decreased productivity and income, increased poverty, and reduced access to education and healthcare, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Therefore, it is imperative that humanitarian organizations and governments prioritize food security and provide the necessary support to those in need. Failure to do so would result in a humanitarian crisis with potentially devastating consequences for millions of people worldwide. However, the ongoing conflict and displacement in the region pose significant challenges to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including food assistance, as access to vulnerable populations remains limited, and the security situation is volatile. Despite these challenges, providing food assistance is vital to minimizing the impact of crises on people's lives and enhancing their resilience.
Different programs aiming to enhance food security are implemented in Northwest Syria that are funded by different donors, Local Non-Governmental Organizations (L-NGOs), International Non-Governmental Organizations (I-NGOs), and UN agencies. The food security-based interventions for the most affected households by conflict, drought, and earthquake include the following activities:
3.1. Food Assistance
- Cash & Voucher: Cash for food, Vouchers for food, and Multipurpose cash in those areas where markets are functional, and the supply of food commodities is in place.
- In-Kind: Food baskets, Ready to Eat Rations (RTERs), Bread distribution (free and subsidized), and bakery support on rehabilitation and inputs supply. Cooked meals were delivered at the collective centers, open fields, and informal settlements of IDPs affected by floods, storms, and conflicts.
- Blended Modality (in-kind and cash or in-kind and voucher, or voucher and cash).
3.2. Agriculture
3.2.1. Supporting the value chains (wheat, olive, pistachio, fig, barley, legumes, and vegetable) throughout three phases:
- Production and inputs: Distribution of agriculture inputs including irrigation and harvesting costs, provision of technical extension service, and climate-smart agriculture system sessions, soil analysis facilities; it is recommended to start engaging IDPs in the camps on these activities.
- Processing: Rehabilitation of the second phase of the value chain on infrastructures: seed processing, sorting, treating, and packaging, bakeries, flour mills, and silos for storage. Cash for work activities in rehabilitation linked with early recovery cluster activities, including vouchers and cash assistance.
- Marketing: To locally purchase wheat from farmers and feed the purchased wheat either into bread production (through a contract with flour mills and bakeries) or in wheat cultivation for the next season by contracting new farmers. For olives, to locally purchase olives from farmers and distribute the oil after milling to vulnerable people. Also, to purchase barley from farmers for fodder (barley) and provide seeds for the next agriculture seasons.
3.2.2. Supporting inter-cropping agriculture systems that include small-medium farming activities and home gardening (considering diseases transmission and the need for irrigation for the proposed crops under this approach) in specific areas.
3.2.3. Supporting the fodder crops cultivation to be linked with livestock-recommended activities.
3.2.4. Enhancing the integration between agriculture and irrigation activities.
3.3. Livestock
- Prevention of livestock epidemics through vaccinations (esp. Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Sheep Pox, Enterotoxaemia, FMD, (ND: Newcastle Disease) and treatment of internal & external parasites.
- Support local fodder manufacturing and provide livestock breeders with fodder, raw materials, related equipment, and technical extension; it is recommended to provide premix during the drought or lack of fodder quality to prevent postpartum diseases and diseases caused by a lack of nutrients.
- Livestock value chains with priority on smallholder dairy and poultry value chains with related extension services.
- Provide treatment for livestock to prevent epidemic and local diseases (considering postpartum disease as the most important challenge that faces livestock) by mobile clinics, improve the productivity and the genetic pool of dairy animals by improving access to livestock services such as (artificial insemination and fertility treatments).
- Capacity building, Para vet (technical training for vets) inside Syria, and awareness sessions for livestock breeders; this activity can be provided by many livestock interventions.
3.4. Irrigation
- Rehabilitation of canals, wells, and pumps to sustain farming through cash for work and service providers.
- Supporting participatory irrigation.
- Support the solar system.
- Complementarity between rehabilitation of irrigation and agriculture assets and water harvesting.
- Supporting the Water User Associations (WUA).
- Supporting sewage treatment and greywater use for irrigation purposes.
- Consider climate change and water scarcity by using modern irrigation systems such as drip irrigation.
3.5. Income Generation Activities
- Cash for work activities aiming at creating linkages and synergies among irrigation, harvesting.
- Rehabilitation of the canal, flour mills, bakeries, and silos, considering the guidance from the CWG about the daily wages.
- Small business grants that link with agriculture and livestock activities.
- Food processing activities target mainly female-headed households by the provision of small business grants to establish small to medium food processing workshops.
- Supporting food processing to produce Ferekeh, producing burgle, food, and bread.
- Mud bakeries, pickles, jam, dry tomatoes, etc., and vegetable production by targeting mainly female-headed households, with the refreshment of local technical knowledge, connecting the HHs with local markets, and providing raw materials and tools.
- Create job opportunities related to agriculture, livestock, and irrigation activities.
- Support the existing businesses with survival support packages (market skills, grants, rehabilitation, productive assets) to maintain their business and protect their productive assets.
- Support more livelihood activities for camp residents to integrate them into the communities and decrease the number of dependent people in the camps.
3.6. Nutrition Activities
- Nutrition programs: providing supplementary feeding programs for malnourished children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
4- Reports about food security interventions in North West Syria
After the recent earthquake, OCHA[19] reported that:
- More than 76,000 Ready-to-Eat Rations (RTE) of dry food have been distributed by 51 FSL cluster partners in the last four weeks as of 17 April.
- An RTE ratio is sufficient for one family of five for one week. Over the last week, 27,326 people have been reached through the distribution of RTEs and High-Energy Biscuits.
- More than 114,000 people were reached with Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), supported by six FSL cluster partners since the earthquakes struck. Out of this figure, 40,290 people were reached over the past month.
- A total of 664,152 cooked meals were distributed by 28 partners since the beginning of the earthquake response.
- Cooked meals were reported as a one-off distribution in 100 percent of cases.
- 193,916 earthquake-affected people who have access to cooking facilities were provided with one-off emergency food baskets, distributed by 15 partners.
In 2022, WFP and the other partners delivered aid from across the Turkish border into Syria, reaching an average of 2.7 million people every month. This work included early recovery and livelihood support to strengthen the resilience of communities across Syria.[20]
In Syria, in addition to providing immediate food assistance in quake-affected cities, WFP has resumed its regular general food assistance for 5.5 million people every month following a brief pause after the earthquakes. This includes regular monthly assistance either in-kind or cash-based to 1.4 million in non-government-controlled areas of the northwest.[21]
According to the WFP, food assistance has helped to reduce the prevalence of acute malnutrition among children under five from 13.9% in 2019 to 11.7% in 2020. The WFP also reports that cash assistance has helped to increase household food consumption and dietary diversity among beneficiaries.
5- Measuring the impact of food assistance for one of Shafak’s projects with two different modalities
Shafak, in partnership with Goal International, implemented a food security program to support individuals affected by the conflict in Afrin, Syria. The program provided food baskets and cash assistance to eligible households. A total of 9829 households received cash vouchers, and 3924 households received food baskets. In June 2022, Shafak conducted a food security analysis to measure the impact of the program. The analysis covered the program intervention area, with a representative sample size of 458 for cash intervention and 464 for food baskets.
The report found that the program had a positive impact on the food security of assisted households, with a reduction in the prevalence of severe and moderate food insecurity. However, the report emphasized the need for sustained and increased humanitarian assistance, including food assistance, to address the ongoing food security crisis in Northwest Syria.
The analysis also assessed the ability of households to meet their basic needs. Of the assisted households, 93.6% were able to meet their basic needs all the time. However, 6.2% could only meet their basic needs sometimes, and 0.2% reported never being able to meet their basic needs.
Other types of humanitarian assistance for food security include programs implemented by Shafak Org and Care International in Aleppo’s Azaz district, covering 13 communities, 9002 households, and 49,204 individuals in 2022. The targeted households were identified as food insecure, with low and borderline Food Consumption Score (FCS) indicators. The program was designed to provide food rations and multi-round cash (cash for food) of $50 per household per month for the right months.
This program contributed to minimizing the economic impact of the Syria crisis and enhancing the resilience of the most vulnerable households, specifically strengthening Syrian families’ livelihoods, protecting their assets, and reducing their negative coping mechanisms to ensure they are better able to meet their essential needs and have access to activities that support their wellbeing.
To measure the impact of this food program on the affected people, Shafak conducted a baseline, midterm, and endline survey where a representative sample of 400 interviews, including male- and female-headed households, were conducted.
The program aimed to minimize the economic impact of the Syria crisis, enhance the resilience of the most vulnerable households, and strengthen Syrian families’ livelihoods to ensure they can meet their essential needs and access activities that support their well-being.
The program had a positive impact on the food security and resilience of the targeted households.
- Indicator 1 shows that the program was successful in reducing the use of negative coping strategies by conflict-affected households. The baseline value was 11, but this improved to 1.88 at the endline, which is a significant improvement.
- Indicator 2 shows that the percentage of households with poor food consumption scores (FCS) decreased from 34% at baseline to 3% at endline, which is a significant improvement.
- Indicator 3 shows that the percentage of households with borderline FCS decreased from 47% at baseline to 30% at endline.
- Indicator 4 shows that the percentage of households with adequate FCS increased from 19% at baseline to 67% at endline.
- Indicator 5 shows that the percentage of households with little to no hunger in the household increased from 95% at baseline to 100% at endline.
- Indicator 6 shows that the percentage of households with moderate hunger in the household decreased from 4% at baseline to 0% at endline.
- Indicator 7 shows that the percentage of households with severe hunger in the household remained at 0% throughout the program.
Overall, the program had a significant positive impact on the food security of the targeted households, as indicated by the improvement in all the indicators.
6- Case study: Shafak food security program in NW Syria
In order to enhance the food security situation in INW Syria, Shafak has been implementing food security activities since 2013. The activities included the distribution of food baskets, ready to eat kits, flour, bread, and cooked meals, food value vouchers and cash for food, in addition to livelihood activities such as agriculture and livestock that increase the production. Moreover, income-generating activities enable families to meet their basic needs.
7- Conclusion
Food assistance has played a crucial role in addressing the food security needs of people affected by conflict, drought, and the recent earthquake in northwest Syria. The provision of food assistance in the form of food baskets and cash transfers has helped to alleviate immediate hunger and malnutrition, while livelihood support has helped to improve self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on aid.
[*] Shafak Organization (SO): This is a non-profit humanitarian organization registered in Turkey since 2013 as a local NGO. Shafak is operating in northwest Syria and Turkey. Shafak is one of the main actors in food security in Syria response.
[2] HNO 2023.
[3] Joint Food Security and Nutrition Assessment 2022.
[4] Earthquake Response in Syria Humanitarian Situation Report No. 5.
[5] Dire consequences: 12 years of suffering in Syria. An overview of the most pressing needs shaping the humanitarian response in Syria today. March 2023.
[6] Global Food Security Index, The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2022. https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-security-index/explore-countries/syria
[7] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[8] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[9] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[10] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[11] Special Report 2021 FAO crop and food supply assessment mission to the Syrian Arab Republic.
[12] Sottimano A. and Samman N. (2022). Syria has a water crisis. And it’s not going away.
[13] Oppenheimer M, Campos M, Warren R, Birkmann J, Luber G, O’Neill B and Takahashi K (2014). Emergent risks and key vulnerabilities. In Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B (eds.). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1039-1099.
[14] Porter J., Xie L., Challinor A., Cochrane K., Howden S., Iqbal M., Lobell D. and Travasso M. (2014). Food security and food production systems. Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, USA: Cambridge University Press. pp. 485-533.
[15] HNO 2022
[16] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[17] The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access, April 2023.
[18] Dire consequences: 12 years of suffering in Syria. An overview of the most pressing needs shaping the humanitarian response in Syria today. March 2023.
[19] NORTH-WEST SYRIA Situation Report. Last updated: 28 Apr 2023.