Jordan – Tuesday, 25 October 2016 – The Management Committee (MC) of the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) approved a new project worth EUR 9.3 million to enhance food security in the two southern Syrian Governorates of Dra’a and Quneitra. The "Enhancing Food Security of Dar’a and Quneitra Governorates" project is the largest SRTF intervention in this sector and comes as a second phase to an earlier SRTF intervention that has benefitted the population of the two governorates.
The food security situation in the two governorates remains fragile due to the low levels of grain harvests and agricultural produce in the area compared to pre-conflict levels. Estimates by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), put Syria’s wheat production in 2015 at 2.445 million metric tonnes, which is 40% lower than the pre-conflict figure. Factors contributing to such a low productivity include the continuation of drought periods, the prevailing insecurity conditions for transportation, insufficient support for local farmers, crop diseases, etc.
Despite these challenges, the Syria Public Establishment of Grains (SPEG), which is responsible for implementation of the project, is utilizing four operational centres in Dar’a and Quneitra to purchase locally-produced wheat and using it produce and supply local bakeries with much needed flour for bread production.
Under the new project, SPEG will import and secure the availability of soft wheat to be mixed and milled with local hard wheat to produce the flour formula required for baking Syrian bread. It will also import and deliver additional hessian and flour sacks for transportation of grains and wheat flour, polyethylene sheets to help farmers cover and protect their harvested crops. The project will also supply and install additional milling plants to ensure that timely production and supply of flour to local bakeries.
The project will also strengthen the SPEG’s operational capacity to sustain and strengthen food security within the liberated areas; maintain availability of bread and stabilize bread prices; and stabilize the availability of flour at local bakeries. While more than 170,000 people will directly benefit from the project, the indirect beneficiaries are expected to exceed 1.5 million of the inhabitants of the two governorates.
With the MC approval of this project, the SRTF now has 32 approved projects with total amount of committed funds EUR 89.2 million. The SRTF has almost reached its target of committing EUR 90 million of its resources by the end of 2016.
For further information on the project, visit:
Enhancing Food Security of Dar’a and Quneitra Governorates
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