Food Security Cluster Bulletin - Syria Crisis Update

1. Month to Month Year Country: Food Security ClusterBulletin Insert major FSC cluster/country headlines here. Insert major FSC cluster/country headlines here. Insert major FSC cluster/country headlines here. Insert major FSC cluster/country headlines here. Insert major FSC cluster/country headlines here. Objective 1: Title of Cluster Strategic Objective #.# people targeted People receiving food assistance against Clustertargets on average every month. The inputs are from # of partners. ##% Funded #.## Million peoplereached at peak with [name of input] #.## Millionaveraged monthly with [name of input]. ###women ###men • #.## • Million people reached at peak with [name of input] WFP/FirstnameLastname ###,### Objective 2: Title of Cluster Strategic Objective Peoplereceived agriculture inputs People receiving livelihood/agriculture assistance against Clustertargets. Theinputs are from # of partners. ### ###,### Reached cumulatively from [Month to Month Year]. Partnersparticipating in FSC #Internationalpartners #Nationalpartners # UNagencies #Donors WFP/FirstnameLastname ##% Percentageof FSC partners reporting programmatic information in [Month]. www.FSCluster.org/country First Lastname,FoodSecurityClusterCoordinator:first.lastname@fscluster.org First Lastname, Information Management Officer IMO:first.lastname@fscluster.org

2. Month to Month Year Country: Food Security Cluster Bulletin Food Security Situation/Food Security Concerns Upcoming Needs Assessment As per the recently concluded Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (2015), even though Syria’s food production increased this year due to good rains, it remains way below its pre-crisis levels, and the ongoing conflict now in its fifth year continues to push more people into hunger and poverty. CFSAM further states that crop production in Syria was adversely affected by the continuing crisis, scarcity andhighprices of agricultural inputs and fuel, inputs of unreliable quality, damaged irrigation systems, low levels of mechanization, shortages and high cost of farm labour, and destruction of standing crops. Furthermore, food prices have increased sharply in early 2015 as Government subsidies were curtailed and the currencydepreciated.Prices of many critical goods spiraled in the past year, such as bread (+66 percent in private bakeries, +87 percent in public bakeries).Asa result, overall, households spend 55 percent of their income on food compared to 45-47 percent in 2011 and less previously. People devote more than two thirds of their incometo food in Dara’a, Sweida, Aleppo and Hama, where households are prioritizing food purchases over other basicneeds. • UNDP (2015) estimates that four out of five Syrians now live below the poverty line, while nearly two-thirds live in extreme poverty and are unable to cover basic needs, including food. • In areas of conflict, farmers are prevented from tending to their crops and in areas relying on irrigation, the unavailability or continuous interruption of electricity have a negative impact on theyield. Furthermore, according to WFP monitoring, amongst its beneficiaries, commonly applied coping strategies include change of diet (e.g. eating less preferred but less expensive food); and increasing short-term. Thus, the assumptions made in the Humanitarian Needs Overview for the sector developed in late 2014 remain largely valid in July 2015. The 2015 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) assessed that 9.8millionpeople were food insecure, of which 6.8 million severely. Between January – June 2015,over1 million people have been furtherdisplaced– with close to 800,000 people being newly displaced from Dara, Raqqa, Al-Hasakeh, Idleb and Homs; thus putting further stress on the negative coping mechanisms of food insecure people. • The conflict has crippled labour markets by undermining overall economic activity,mobility of workers and restriction of the seasonal migration of unskilled workers. Inplaces that have been relatively spared by the conflict, such as Tartous and Lattakia, newly arrived IDPs and returnees have saturated the labour market and driven down wages. In several areas, farmers complain about the unavailability of labour, due todisplacement. • When compared to March 2014, the price of standard basket of dry good has increased in all governorates except Rural Damascus. Higher prices for diesel fuel (+108 percent) and butane gas (+61 percent) point to sharply higher energy costs for households and businesses, including farmers, transporters, mills andbakeries. • High transportation costs and pervasive insecurity have severely hampered market response capacity and functionality. High prices and weak purchasing power have dampened consumer demand andturnover. • Thus, spiralling prices, and very limited income earning opportunities continue to constrain the food security of many households. The most vulnerable or “poor” and “borderline” households rely on food assistance, and occasionally supplement those resources with extremely precarious income sources from casual labour where such opportunities areavailable. Applied coping strategy (example)Gender snapshot ##% Women migrate in search of work/ food ##% Less men sell household assets ##% Men spend less savings ##% Women borrowed money to purchase food WFP/FirstnameLastname WFP/FirstnameLastname Both women and men alike reduced essential non food expenditures such as education/health ##%##%

3. Month to Month Year Country: Food Security Cluster Bulletin • In June, out of a total 30 partners who reported under SO1, 14 partners are Strategic Response Plan Partners. The sector partners (SRP and other partners) together were able to reach 6.43 million people. The response also included wheat flour and bread distribution by 14 partners (9 SRP partners); and other mixed food items by 5 partners (3 SRP partners). Furthermore, 7 partners (4 SRP partners) reported to provide food assistance through Cash & Voucher in 20 locations (see box 1 for moredetails) • 14 SRP partners assisted 4,809,458 people with food baskets and 9 SRP partners assisted 1,259,807 people with wheat flour andbread. • 16 other sector partners assisted 1,618,858 people with food baskets and 5 other sector partners assisted 1,084,475 people with wheat flour andbread. • In total, 30 FSS partners reported to have assisted 6,427,488 people with food baskets and 14 FSS partners assisted 2,344,282 people with wheat flour andbread. • This amounts to 49,645.22 MT for food basket and 10,882.48 MT for wheat flour andbread. • Monthhighlights Food Security ClusterResponse Food Security Clusterpartners are responding to the deteriorating food security situation in [Country]through two ClusterObjectives: (1) Title of Cluster Strategic Objective 1 (2) Title of Cluster Strategic Objective 2. These two ClusterObjectives ensure a holistic approach for food security so that the immediate food needs are met through appropriate food assistance and also where the conditions are conducive livelihoods are restored.Resilience is an integral part of this approach as it provides an opportunity to the affected population in need of food assistance to cope with their current crisis and at the same time where the conditions are favourable can re-establish theirlivelihoods. Title of Cluster Strategic Objective ClusterObjective 1 During Month Year – Month Year, the clusterhas assisted #.##million people on average with [name of input]every month against a monthly clustertarget of #.###million people. Provision of monthly [name of input]reached its peak in MonthYear as #.##million people were assisted across Country. Insertmap/photo/calendar here Trend Analysis of [name of input]to Beneficiaries fromMonth – Month Year

4. Month to Month Year Country: Food Security Cluster Bulletin Partner Story/FSC Training Early Warning Update Working Group Update Location|#-#Month Topics that could also be featured in this section includes updates on the humanitarian response plan, funding updates, information on market prices, cluster workshops, case studies/lessons learned, preparedness and resilience, SAG updates, etc. Include any topics in this section that are relevant for the cluster to report on and communication to cluster members. Topics that could also be featured in this section includes updates on the humanitarian response plan, funding updates, information on market prices, cluster workshops, case studies/lessons learned, preparedness and resilience, SAG updates, etc. Include any topics in this section that are relevant for the cluster to report on and communication to cluster members. . In this section tell a story highlighting the work and achievements of a FSC Partner. Feature a different partner in each bulletin to raise their visibility and shared best practices/lessons learned of different organizations. Alternatively use this section to report on a recent FSC Training or other event that the FSC staff has participated in. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. FSC Donors Upcoming Events Donec sed odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatisvestibulum. Title of Event A Title of Event B The achievements of the FSC have been made possible by the following donors: Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Dates, Location and Description of Event A . Dates, Location and Description of Event B. Donec sed odio dui. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatisvestibulum. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo.