Syria Market Monitoring Exercise Cash-Based Responses Snapshot: 16-23 October 2017 Technical Working Group KEY FINDINGS OVERVIEW • The most significant trend was the near currencies decreased this month, which • To inform humanitarian actors’ cash and voucher Syrian household for one month. doubling of SMEB costs in besieged areas. resulted in decreasing prices of several programming, REACH and the Cash-Based • Between 16 and 23 October 2017, a network While SMEB data collected was incomplete assessed items. The median exchange rates Responses Technical Working Group (CBR– of 12 NGOs involved in cash-based responses due to shortages and consequently the paucity for USD/SYP decreased by 10%, TRY/SYP by TWG) conduct monthly monitoring of key markets in Syria (CARE/Shafak, Concern, Danish of price data, the sudden increase in the price 10%, and JOD/SYP by 5% across assessed throughout Syria to assess the availability and Church Aid, GOAL, IRC, Mercy Corps, People of key items in the past month is evident. areas. affordability of basic commodities. in Need, REACH, Save the Children, Solidarités • The shortages of chicken and potatoes • SMEB cost changes greater than 10% were • Monitored commodities reflect those that are International and Violet) contributed data from 72 continued in multiple communities in Eastern observed in 11 of the 50 subdistricts with typically available, sold in markets and consumed subdistricts spanning 11 governorates. For Ghouta, with additional shortage of eggs and comparable data between September and by an average Syrian household including food coverage, see the map on the left. milk in Arbin. In addition, LPG continues to be October. items, non-food items, fuel, water and smartphone • Situation overviews and data sets from all months data. unavailable in Duma since May, with residents • Coverage significantly expanded in Ar Raqqa of the Market Monitoring Exercise are available on reportedly using wood and fuel processed governorate in October. For a more detailed • Many are components of the Survival Minimum the REACH Resource Centre and are distributed from plastics as a substitute. analysis of the data from this region, see Expenditure Basket (SMEB), detailed below, to the broader humanitarian community. • The exchange rate for the three assessed the forthcoming Raqqa Market Monitoring which represents the minimum culturally adjusted • For additional details on methodology and shifts group of items required to support a six-person in coverage, please consult the appendix at the end of this document. ASSESSED AREAS SURVIVAL MINIMUM EXPENDITURE Regional Breakdown CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS Northwest - 29 Subdistricts BASKET (SMEB) CONTENTS Northeast 23 Subdistricts South - 18 Subdistricts • As the Syria Market Monitoring Exercise currently Besieged - 3 Subdistricts Item Quantity Not Assessed includes 13 partners based in 3 hubs, achieving Food Bread 37 kg AL-HASAKEH a consistent approach is inherently challenging. Items Bulgur 15 kg Participating organisations are therefore الحسششششششششكة Chicken 6 kg ALEPPO requested to adopt harmonised data collection AR-RAQQA حلشششب Eggs 6 kg methodologies and tools to ensure that the data الرقشششششششة IDLEB Fresh vegetables 12 kg .uploaded is as accurate as possible إدلشششششب LATTAKIA Ghee/vegetable oil 7 kg/L اللاذقيششششششششششة Red lentils 15 kg • Confirming commodity shortages in certain HAMA DEIR-EZ-ZOR communities was difficult due to a lack of حمشششششاة Rice 19 kg ديشششر .information about general market availability الشششششششزور TARTOUS Salt 1 kg طرطشششششششوس Sugar 5 kg When follow-ups were unable to confirm these HOMS Tomato paste 6 kg shortages, this is stated in the text. حمشششص Non-Food Bathing soap 12 bars • Due to an escalation in the security situation and Items Laundry/dish soap 3 kg resultant operational constraints, Deir-ez-Zor Sanitary pads 4 packs of 10 could not be assessed in October. Toothpaste 200 g • Given security and access constraints in the DAMASCUS Fuel Cooking fuel* 25 L ,RURAL divided cities of Al-Hasakeh and Quamishli مدينشششششششة DAMASCUS Water Water 4500 L دمششششششق markets on only one side of the city could be ريشششف DAMASCUS Telecom Smartphone data 1 GB دمششششششق مدينشششششششة QUNEITRA surveyed. Other دمششششششق RURAL Float (other costs)** 7.5% total value القنيطششششششششششششرة DAR'A DAMASCUS ريشششف AS-SWEIDA درعشششششا .Kerosene in northern Syria; LPG in southern Syria * دمششششششق السششششششششششششويداء ** Float was excluded from SMEB calculations due to the commonality of incomplete baskets. * Subdistrict classified as besieged if containing an assessed UNOCHA defined besieged community NORTHWEST Syria: Food, Water and Mobile Data Lattakia, Idleb, western Aleppo governorates CURRENCY FOOD ITEMS MOBILE DATA Noteworthy price changes since October: • The median cheapest price for the remaining food • The median cheapest rate for a gigabyte of data Median cheapest exchange rates items did not change notably from the previous decreased by 100SYP (-17%) to 500 SYP in • Chicken (+9%) • Salt (+22%) month across the northwest. October. A significant price decrease was observed 484 133 720 • Cucumbers (+45%) • Milk (+13%) in six sub-districts, reporting a range between 7% SYP/USD SYP/TRY SYP/JOD* WATER and 84%. In parallel, nine subdistricts reported • Sugar (-7%) 27 ▼13 ▼8 • The median cheapest rate for private water no change, and five reported decreases with no consistent trends observable by district or • The median cheapest price of chicken trucking services increased by 0.09 SYP to * Lattakia was the only community to report this exchange governorate. rate. increased by 62 SYP (+9%) to approximately approximately 0.66 SYP/L. 725 SYP/kg. While 16 subdistricts reported prices increases between +3% and +65%, 10 Median cheapest SYP/USD exchange rate subdistricts reported decreases or no changes. Median cheapest bread prices (SYP) How to read a box plot Maximum price in data set (SYP) May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct • The median cheapest price of salt increased May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 200 by 14 SYP (+22%) to 75 SYP/500g. Janudiyeh, Upper quartile: 25% of the 535 522 534 524 511 484 125 137 134 136 150 150 data is above this point Ma’arrat an Nu’man and Badama subdistricts in 150 Median price in data set Idlib Governorate saw increases of over 200%. (SYP and USD) 100 90 • The median cheapest price of cucumbers ($0.29) Change in median from increased by 63 SYP (+45%) to 200 SYP/kg. ▼ previous month (if change 5%) Among 26 subdistricts assessed, all but one Lower quartile: 25% of the 40 data is below this point reported an increase ranging from 12% to 129%. Minimum price in data set (SYP) • The median cheapest price of milk increased by 0 25 SYP (+13%) to 225 SYP/L. This ended two months of price decreases. Note: Visualisations of monthly trends in this overview do not • The median price of sugar decreased by 25 SYP account89+80+89+83+74+56 for monthly variations in subdistrict coverage. (-7%) to 350 SYP/kg. This continues a general 83+91+89+91+100+100 trend of decreasing prices since February where Spread of cheapest reported food prices the median price was approximately 430 SYP/kg. Spread of cheapest reported tea and water trucking prices 1500 6000 1 1500 6000 1.00 1300 1100 1000 1000 0.75 1000 ($2.00) 5000 ▼ 700 0.525 650 ($1.40) 600 ($0.001) ($1.30) 625 0.50 ▲ ($1.20) ► ▲ 550 ▲ 4000 3800 500 425 450 ($7.60) 500 400 350 400 ($0.85) 325 350 ▼ ▲ ($0.70) 300 ($0.65) 250 250 250 315 ▲ ▼ 200 200 200 150 150 150 200 140 200 0.25 260 ($0.40) ($0.40) ($0.40) 100 175 175 ▲ ▲ ($0.30) ($0.30) ($0.30) ($0.28) 75 150 ▲ 150 ($0.20) ($0.15) 3000 94 125 125 100 ▲ 100 ▲ 100 ▲ ▲ 75 ► 2800 0 50 25 ► 0.1 Eggs Chicken Ghee Tomato Paste Rice Sugar Red Lentils Bulgur Cucumbers Milk Bread Flour Tomatoes Potatoes Onions Salt Tea Water (30 eggs) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 L) (8 slices) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 kg) (1 l) 2 Cash-Based Responses Syria Market Monitoring Monthly Snapshot: 16-23 October 2017 Technical Working Group NORTHWEST Syria: Fuel, NFIs, Availability Issues and SMEBs Lattakia, Idleb, western Aleppo governorates Median cheapest kerosene prices (SYP) between August and September. Selected subdistrict SMEBs in May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct • The median cheapest price for the remaining fuel AVAILABILITY ISSUES items did not change notably from the previous October 300 300 300 300 300 300 month across the northwest. None confirmed Most expensive HYGIENE AND SANITATION ITEMS Jisr-Ash-Shugur (92,484 SYP, 184.97 USD) • The median cheapest price of bathing soap Bennsh (81,267 SYP, 162.53 USD) increased by 37 SYP to approximately 200 SYP/ SMEB (SURVIVAL MINIMUM bar. Of the 26 assessed subdistricts, 16 reported EXPENDITURE BASKET) Saraqab (80,985 SYP, 161.97 USD) increasing prices, with Heish, Kafr Nobol and • The median-reported cost of a complete SMEB Least expensive Ma’arrat Au Nu’man, in Al Ma’ra district, reporting in northwest Syria was 74,463.92 SYP (148.93 85+85+85+85+85+85 increases of several hundred Syria Pounds from USD). Darkosh (67,343 SYP, 134.69 USD) previous months. FUEL • The median-reported cost of SMEB increased by Atareb (67,248 SYP, 134.50 USD) • The median cheapest price of dishwashing liquid 3,491.50 SYP (6.98 USD) across the northwest • The median cheapest price of liquefied petroleum Harim (65,773 SYP, 131.55 USD) gas (LPG) stabilised in October at approximately increased by 112 SYP (60%) to approximately 200 between September and October among the 15 380 SYP/L in the 22 subdistricts that reported SYP/L. Prices ranged from approximately 100 to subdistricts with comparable coverage for both 600 SYP/L across subdistricts in the northwest.