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Syria

Syria mVAM Bulletin #50: November 2020

Attachments

Situation Overview

COVID-19 cases are still on the rise across Syria, a trend likely to further worsen during the colder winter months. As of 30 November 2020, 7,887 cases of COVID-19 were officially confirmed by the Minister of Health in government-held areas in Syria, including 417 fatalities, marking a 39 percent increase compared to the national rate of COVID-19 cases at the end of October. In addition, a partial lockdown has been imposed on all Kurdish-controlled areas in northeast Syria following the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in November, including a full lockdown on the town of Al-Malikia in Al-Hasakeh governorate. Furthermore, the COVID-19 outbreak continued spreading rapidly in opposition-held areas in northwest Syria, reaching around 15,502 cases of COVID-19 by the end of November.

Representing a three-fold increase compared to the announced rate of COVID-19 cases in northwest Syria at the end of October. The recent increase in COVID-19 cases has fueled increased concern across the country, given that most of announced cases have not been linked to exposure with a suspected source, pointing to large-scale community transmission.

• The value of the Syrian pound continued to weaken in the informal exchange rate market and reached a monthly average of SYP 2,638/USD in November 2020, depreciating by 11 percent month-on-month. This is the first time the Syrian pound has reached this monthly national average level in 2020, outpacing the peak recorded in June (SYP 2,505/USD), suggesting an upward pressure on prices, including food.

• Intensified hostilities were reported in northwest Syria in November, especially south of the M4 highway and around the M5 highway, including artillery shelling across Ariha and Idleb districts. Such incidents of violence are impacting aid workers and temporary suspending humanitarian operations in northwest Syria, leaving the vulnerable population without food assistance. Additionally, rainfall during November caused widespread damage to IDP sites across northwest Syria, resulting in flooding and destruction of tents, which has affected more than 334 households in IDP sites across Idleb and western Aleppo. Also, the Islamic State continued to mount suicide attacks in Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor, highlighting a volatile security situation across northeast Syria.

• After more than nine years of conflict in Syria, which has caused extensive casualties, destruction of infrastructure and population displacement (more than half of its pre-war Syrian population has been forced to flee their homes, including more than 5.5 million have become refugees as estimated by the United Nations), the Syrian government hosted an international Russia-backed conference in Damascus in November 2020, aimed at finding ways to facilitate Syrian refugee returns to the country, despite reservations by the international community on safe return conditions.

• Meanwhile, to address the pressing needs which flared-up from the dire humanitarian situation in Syria, WFP continued dispatching general food assistance, reaching around 4.7 million people in November across the country. WFP has sufficient stocks of ready-to-eat rations in place to respond should the situation further deteriorate. Furthermore, on 25 November, WFP finalized the delivery and installation of two generator sets in public bakeries in Dar'a. This was under WFP's Farm-to-Bread-concept to restore the bread supply chain to food insecure population and contribute to social cohesion in vulnerable areas.