REGIONAL BUREAU CAIRO FOR MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, CENTRAL ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPESituation Update #1019 June – 2 July 2020

COVID-19

LebanonJordanAlgeria LibyaIraqIran KyrgyzstanSyria TajikistanMorocco Palestine TunisiaSudan Turkey Yemen

EgyptArmenia

COVID-19 Regional Status 12 July 2020

>100,000

>1,000

>0

>50,000

>10,000

>5,000

COVID-19 cases

257,303

211,981

81,158

15,635

18,712 1,433

10,250

31,969 10,629

6,506

77,506

1,263 394

1,176

2,168 6,230

1,389

As of 12 July, there were 735,702 reported cases of COVID-19 within the countries covered by RBC. There has been a 21 percent increase in cases over the last two weeks (28 June – 12 July) and a 51 percent increase in cases over the last month (18 June – 12 July).

Several governments in the region announced the easing of restrictions during the reporting period, among which are Algeria, Armenia, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey. Contrarily, Iran and the State of Palestine have re-imposed measures following a surge in reported cases.

On 29 June 2020, WFP launched its Global Response Plan to COVID-19. The plan estimates that in the Regional Bureau Cairo region, which covers the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, an additional 12 million people have become food insecure since the onset of COVID-19. This is a 29 percent increase from 41 million to 53 million food insecure people in the region in 2020.

HIGHLIGHTS

WFP

/Ali

Hab

ib

WFP Regional Bureau Cairo External COVID-19 Situation Report #10 19 June – 2 July Date of Issue: 14 July

WFP and the governments of several countries in the region continue to provide assistance for vulnerable individuals impacted by COVID-19. In Turkey, the top-up distribution of 15,000 hygiene kits took place in camps from 14 to 23 June, as per the protocol agreed upon between WFP and the Directorate General of Migration Management. Feedback received from beneficiaries during post distribution monitoring exercises highlighted a strong appreciation for this timely support. Furthermore, WFP Tunisia has been requested by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research to support the Ministry in duplicating the National School Feeding Policy at the country’s universities. WFP Tunisia is working to propose an agreement and develop a resource mobilization plan. This initiative is ground-breaking and represents a first in the region.

Social Protection

WFP RESPONSE

Following the disruption of school feeding activities due to the pandemic, WFP is adjusting to the situation and preparing for the upcoming academic year. In Kyrgyzstan, WFP is introducing school feeding in schools around the country in rounds. As part of the eighth round (around 90 schools), the WFP School Feeding Programme and its cooperating partner, the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute, are working on developing an online training module for cooks that will launch school feeding in September 2020. The new online training is going to be conducted in August, consisting of an online training resource that will be displayed for the school cooks prior to interactive sessions that will be livestreamed so that the trainer and trainees can give feedback to each other. In Libya, WFP continues to distribute date bars as take-home rations for the schoolchildren and their families that are enrolled in the programme. In June, WFP reached 2,138 schoolchildren and their families. Distributions are undertaken by school officials outside of curfew hours with all COVID-19 precautions in place.

School Feeding

In countries where nutrition activities are ongoing, WFP delivers its life-saving assistance with COVID-19 precautionary measures in place. In Algeria, high anaemia prevalence and malnutrition rates means that many refugees are less resistant to the virus. Therefore, for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and anaemia in pregnant and lactating women (PLWGs), WFP distributed daily rations of super cereal mixed with sugar and vegetable oil to 671 women. In addition, around 8,000 PLWGs received fresh food vouchers to prevent MAM and anaemia. For the treatment of MAM in children, 451 children aged between 6-59 months received daily rations of 100g of specialized nutritious food, while for prevention, a total of 13,321 boys and girls aged 6-59 months received specialized nutritious food in health centres.

Nutrition

Livelihoods and resilience building activities continue to be impacted by the pandemic. In Tajikistan, WFP launched a Cash for Work intervention to support vulnerable households that are particularly affected by the socio-economic shocks induced by COVID-19. These resilience building projects will assist some 15,000 people through three months’ cash assistance to meet their immediate nutritional needs and build long-term community assets in four districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). In Turkey, on 22 to 26 June, 158 students received intensive practical cooking classes under the cash-for-training component of the Mutfakta Umut Var (MUV)/Kitchen of Hope project. Each participant received an entitlement of TRY 375 (USD 58) for completion of the course. They were then registered in Turkey’s national Employment Agency’s (ISKUR) database for the on-the-job training component, which will take place in restaurants and soup kitchens.

Livelihood Programmes

In Latakia, Syria, WFP and UNICEF began distributing bars of soap (provided by UNICEF) along with WFP’s monthly general food distribution to help families to stay healthy during COVID-19. Close to 4.7 million people will receive this soap that was distributed by WFP.

WFP/Ali Habib

WFP Regional Bureau Cairo External COVID-19 Situation Report #10 19 June – 2 July Date of Issue: 14 July

Supply chains continue being interrupted due to COVID-19 movement restrictions and WFP increased its efforts across the region to mitigate disruptions. In Armenia, the supply chain sector, co-led by WFP and other agencies and partners, is working on the Government’s supply and demand platform to coordinate purchases and to reduce the possibility of over or under supplying essential medical equipment and personal protective equipment. Moreover, in Egypt, calls with retailers showed an increase in retailers’ awareness in terms of protection against the spread of COVID-19, as there is a growing number of retailers who reported that they personally use masks when they serve their customers.

Supply Chain

WFP’s continuous monitoring of commodity price developments shows a substantial increase for average food basket prices in several countries in the region between January and May 2020. Prices for food baskets have notably increased in Kyrgyzstan (10 percent), Lebanon (18 percent), Libya (28 percent) and Syria (42 percent). The increase in prices has negatively impacted beneficiaries’ consumption patterns to adapt to the situation. The June 2020 WFP Libya Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping report highlights that 76 percent of refugees and asylum-seekers adopted negative livelihood coping strategies to address a lack of resources during the pandemic. For 87 percent of displaced households, the reliance on coping strategies is higher. A major concern during COVID-19 is that 38 percent of displaced households have reduced their health expenditures to cover their basic food needs. As one of the countries whose levels of nutrition are most affected by the coronavirus-related restrictions and its impact on the economy, WFP’s assistance in Libya has now become even more vital.

Vulnerability Analysis & Mapping

In Latakia, Syria, food distribution times are now staggered to reduce crowds, food is placed in small piles at least 1 meter apart, staff and beneficiaries have access to hand sanitizer and all beneficiaries are required to maintain physical distancing while collecting their food.

WFP/Ali Habib

In Yemen, WFP’s network of warehouses across the country supports food insecure families with food assistance.

WFP/Mohammed Awadh

Country Offices in the region are adjusting their distribution strategies to safely reach beneficiaries and accommodate their needs. Due to increases in inflation, food prices and rising needs in Lebanon, WFP started assisting more refugees. Starting July 2020, WFP is assisting 755,000 refugees with cash-based transfers, up from 742,400 in June and 655,000 in May. In Egypt, at the request of the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MOSS), starting June 2020, WFP is extending monthly cash assistance to 76,000 beneficiaries who had been excluded from the Takaful and Karama social protection programme. The assistance mainly targets vulnerable female headed households and widows. Additionally, in June 2020, WFP Egypt launched its COVID-19 emergency support to MOSS in the form of unconditional cash assistance to about 37,000 households with children under two years of age.

Cash-based Transfers

WFP Regional Bureau Cairo External COVID-19 Situation Report #10 19 June – 2 July Date of Issue: 14 July

Operational Information Management Unit

WFP Regional Bureau for the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), Central Asia & Eastern Europe

RBC_OIM@wfp.org

Contacts

A total of USD 1.6 billion is required for the region for the next six months (July to December). This represents 58 percent of the total WFP requirements for the same period (of USD 2.73 billion).

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

A B727 plane carrying cargo for the humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen is unloaded at Sana’a airport.

WFP/Ebrahim Al Rawni

Interagency coordination efforts continue to work on a joint response to the pandemic. WFP Libya and UNHCR Libya launched an innovative partnership assisting food insecure refugees and asylum-seekers released from detention centres with emergency food assistance. The project aims to initially distribute food assistance to 2,000 people with plans to scale up its support to 10,000 beneficiaries by the end of the year. In Armenia, WFP jointly with UNICEF and UNDP has initiated a project with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA) to develop a beneficiary rapid assessment and beneficiary registration platform for vulnerable persons affected by COVID-19. The key outcomes of this project will address identifying the right beneficiary while providing the right assistance, equitability, inclusiveness and strategic decision making.

INTERAGENCY COORDINATION

Air passenger services are now available to all countries in the region who are connected either to the WFP air passenger global network or through resumed commercial services. In Iraq, WFP air passenger services have been launched as of 15 June to allow the humanitarian community to fly in and out of Baghdad and Erbil to Sharjah hub where passengers can proceed with various WFP or commercial flights. Starting 16 June, in Lebanon, WFP Aviation Services has been operating two regular flights a week from Beirut to Sharjah with Air Arabia. A total of 5 flights have operated between 16 to 29 June, supporting the entry of 31 humanitarian staff into Lebanon. Furthermore, in Tajikistan, on 25 June, WFP received clearance from the Government for the implementation of WFP Aviation Services in the country; the first flight Dushanbe – Sharjah is scheduled for 13 July 2020.

COMMON SERVICES

WFP Regional Bureau Cairo External COVID-19 Situation Report #10 19 June – 2 July Date of Issue: 14 July