HIGHLIGHTS
Thanks to generous contributions following the London Conference, extremely vulnerable refugees across the region continued to receive the full voucher value.
WFP's Vision 2020 initiative is underway: WFP will continue life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable, while shifting focus to longer term resilience and recovery, including sustainable livelihoods.
WFP reaches Deir Ezzor city for the first time in two years with airdrops of dry food supplies for 20,000 families. Further, 748,000 people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas received food assistance.
WFP has signed an agreement with UNDP to undertake a Joint Employment Opportunity Assessment. The assessment is underway to better identify market demands at regional, national, and sub-national levels in the six countries affected by the crisis.
Situation Update:
Syria
Aleppo Governorate
At least 40,000 people have been on the move during the last three weeks of April and have been forced to seek refuge in A’zaz and surrounding IDP settlements due to clashes between ISIL and armed opposition groups. In response, WFP partners provided assistance to 20,000 newly displaced people by distributing almost 4,000 food rations.
UN deliveries through Bab Al-Salam (BAS), the only access route to the A’zaz area, were temporarily suspended in April due to security tension in proximity of the border. WFP had completed all planned deliveries for April cycle prior to the suspension.
Al-Hasakeh Governorate
Deliveries of humanitarian supplies are being severely affected by the continued access interruption through border crossing points in the governorate. WFP continues to prioritize limited stocks of ready-to-eat rations to respond to the most urgent food needs amongst newly displaced families.
Jordan
The situation at the border crossing points remains critical, with the number of people increased to an estimated 52,000 as of 5 May.
The total number of registered asylum seekers at the Berm is 36,981. WFP started distributing ready-to-eat-food parcels on 5 March, including fresh foods and bread.
Lebanon
The 2015 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) in Lebanon shows a continued deterioration of the food security situation among refugees across the country compared to 2014.
WFP is engaging in ongoing targeting exercises to increase its reach to vulnerable populations.
Iraq
Political tension in Iraq continues to escalate, stemming from Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s decision to reshuffle the cabinet to tackle corruption. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's International Zone on 1 May, a day after breaking into parliament and storming into the Green Zone.