Geneva – The spread of poverty in Syria has had a significant impact on the ability of its people to meet their daily food and basic needs, especially given the sharp and unprecedented rise in prices in this country, said said Euro-Med Monitor in a statement issued in conjunction with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The Syrian conflict and accompanying crises, including displacement, severe economic recession and local currency devaluation, have impoverished the population and increased the financial burden on individuals. Amid a record price increase of more than 800% in the past two years alone, 90% of the population now lives below the poverty line.
The deterioration of the humanitarian situation is not limited to a single governorate or a single region, but affects almost all Syrian governorates. Particularly affected are those in northern Syria, home to millions of displaced people who face greater poverty and food insecurity than others. Syrian families have faced record levels of food insecurity and hunger this year, with an estimated 12.4 million food insecure people, equivalent to more than half of Syria’s population, and 1.3 million severely food insecure.
Anas Jerjawi, Operations Director of Euro-Med Monitor, said: “At a time when Syrians are facing record levels of poverty and food insecurity, the humanitarian response plan for Syria has only received 25% of the funding needed, which clearly means that the international community has failed millions of Syrians who are exhausted by poverty and conflict.
“For 11 years, the international community has failed miserably to provide protection to Syrians and to act seriously and effectively to end a conflict that has so deteriorated the humanitarian situation,” Jerjawi added. “However, in order to avoid further deterioration and consequences that could be even more difficult to face, donor countries must not ignore or reduce their commitments to the Syrian humanitarian crisis now.”
Around 14.6 million Syrians, half of whom are children, need humanitarian assistance, the highest number since the conflict began in March 2011. Spreading poverty and loss of livelihoods have not only affected people’s living conditions, but also created a sense of hopelessness. and frustration, which has contributed to an increase in suicide cases in the majority of Syrian governorates. From the beginning of this year to August, more than 150 suicide cases were recorded in areas controlled by the Syrian government and the armed opposition.
The ongoing conflict in Syria has directly resulted in the deaths of at least 306,000 civilians, equivalent to 1.5% of the population before the outbreak of the conflict. It also directly led to the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of tens of thousands of people, as well as the near complete destruction of several towns and villages. The conflict has forced almost half the population to flee or seek refuge, disrupted the work of more than half of the country’s medical facilities and prevented nearly two million children from going to school. school.
The Syrian authorities in power must continue to support the population by all possible means, collaborate with humanitarian organizations and refrain from using security or political arguments to hinder or restrict the work of humanitarian mechanisms aimed at mitigating the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, donor countries and organizations must fulfill their obligations to the Syria response plan and increase their financial contributions in response to the escalating humanitarian crisis, the unprecedented increase in the poverty rate and the increase in the number of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
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