Attachments
KEY MESSAGES
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Marginal depreciation of the Turkish Lira (TRY) against the USD resulted in moderate increases in the price of most basic commodities between April and May 2023. However, some of the monitored basic commodities underwent considerable price changes, including salt, fresh vegetables and soap.
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The price of monitored fresh vegetables declined following months of unprecedented increases related to the onset of the harvest season.
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Vendors reported that supply chains have largely recovered from the initial disruptions following the earthquakes while the overall economic situation in Northwest Syria (NWS) remains the predominant factor impacting vendors’ trade and consumer prices.
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Soap continued to experience price increases. Combined with the unaffordability of water, this contributes to the ongoing unaffordability of hygiene.
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Note the data pertaining to this report was collected before the Turkish 2023 Elections which are suspected to influence NWS, including migration and the economy.
ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW
To inform humanitarian cash programming, the Nortwest of Syria (NWS) Cash Working Group (CWG), in partnership with local and international NGOs, conducts a monthly Joint Market Monitoring Initiative in northern Syria. The exercise assesses the availability and prices of 36 basic commodities that are typically sold in markets and consumed by the average Syrian household, including food, water and non-food items e.g., fuel, and cell phone data. Of these, 18 items comprise the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB), which represents the minimum, culturally adjusted items required to support a 6-person household for a month.