UN humanitarian chief voices concern over Syrian economic crisis

Damascus, Jan 21 : UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock has voiced concern over the continuing economic crisis in Syria.
Syrians are starting 2021 with a currency whose value has drastically declined and food prices at historically high levels, partly because subsidies for key commodities like bread have been cut, Xinhua news agency quoted Lowcock as saying to the Security Council in a virtual briefing on Wednesday.
In December 2020, the World Food Programme revealed that food prices increasing again, by 13 per cent compared with November 2020, and by 236 per cent compared with December 2019, he said.
Nearly one in five households reported poor food consumption in December 2020. That was double the level recorded in December 2019.
Bread shortages continue in many areas. Domestic wheat production cannot meet demand, and most of what is produced is grown in areas outside government control.
In government areas, production fell significantly last year, said Lowcock.