World Food Program: Food prices in Syria increased by 102% within a year

The United Nations World Food Program revealed that food prices in Syria doubled within a year.

The program said in its report issued today, Monday, that “food prices decreased in all regions of Syria by only one percent in June 2021.”

“However, food prices are still 102 percent higher than they were 12 months ago,” he added.

The report indicated that “the price of the food basket approved by the Food Program, which includes bread, rice, lentils, sugar and vegetable oil, decreased by one percent between May and June 2021, while the Syrian pound lost one percent of its value during the month of June.”

This rise in the prices of most food and supplies at a time when the largest group of Syrians are below the poverty line, according to the United Nations.

Last July, the World Food Program said that cooking oil prices increased by 440 percent compared to what they were a year ago in Syria.

According to the WFP, “the conflict, displacement and unprecedented economic pressures in Syria have led to increased hunger, families have lost their jobs due to closures due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and basic food prices have risen to record levels. Together, these factors have pushed Families across the country are facing further poverty, hunger and food insecurity.

A record number of Syrians are now food insecure, and 12.4 million people are currently struggling to find a basic meal, which represents nearly 60 percent of the country’s population. An additional 1.8 million people are at risk of food insecurity unless urgent humanitarian action is taken, according to the report.