Joint Rapid Food Security Needs Assessment (JRFSNA) - Syria

The FAO-led mission kicked off in June 2012 comprised of an international FAO expert as Team Leader and experts from WFP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform.

The mission held consultations in Damascus, and visited Daará, Rural Damascus, Palmyra in Eastern Homs, Al Hassake, Al Raqqa and Aleppo governorates. The mission met with officials from the Directorate of Agriculture in different governorates, representatives from Peasants’ Union, representatives from Al Badia Commission, small farming households, small herders, Bedouins, returnee families from crisis-affected areas, medium-sized farmers and herders, and poultry entrepreneurs. The mission also held focus group discussions and interviews with some of the most vulnerable small farmers, herders, widows and female-headed households. The mission meanwhile developed templates for the collection of secondary data on damages, losses and needs and shared with the Ministry.

Some of the mission members had rigorous consultations with the officials in the Directorates of Agriculture in the visited governorates to complete the data templates. Telephone conferences were held with the Directorates in Homs and Hama for the situational update and secondary data collection.

Despite all its efforts, the mission unfortunately could not arrive in Deir Ezzor due to deteriorated security situation, and had to return back to Damascus from Palmyra. Collection of information or secondary data from Deir Ezzor was also not possible either.