Attachments
Highlights:
○ Food prices in east Aleppo city significantly decreased after humanitarian access and better food availability in the markets. ○ In Deir-ez-Zor city, accessibility to sufficient food becomes a challenge.
○ In January 2017, the nominal retail prices of rice, wheat flour, bulgur and bread in monitored markets showed downward trends.
○ Wholesale price of wheat grain increased by 52 percent, bulgur by 33 percent and white rice by 38 percent year-on-year. ○ Remarkable decrease in average nominal price of fuel compared to last month (20 percent for diesel and 29 percent for a cylinder of butane gas).
A: Standard Food Basket
In January 2017, the national average cost of a standard food basket1 (group of essential commodities) was SYP 36,025, a decrease of seven percent compared to last month, but still higher by three percent compared to six months ago and 44 percent compared to last year cost.
Market data indicates a decrease in food basket cost in many markets across the country. This is in line with the downward trend in fuel price, access restrictions on Wadi Barada being lifted as well as the positive impact of recent humanitarian access to east Aleppo city.
Looking at the pattern of food basket cost across all main markets, the lowest cost was observed in Dar’a governorate at SYP 26,925 while Deir-ez-Zor governorate recorded the highest cost with SYP 97,400 (three times higher than Damascus market).
In Deir-ez-Zor city, the accessibility to sufficient food became a challenge due to the increase fighting in the area. This also resulted in airdrops. This caused an overall increase in the nominal prices of food commodities.
In east Aleppo city the food basket cost declined to SYP 30,435, representing a decrease of 84 percent compared to December 2016.