2014 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP)

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE RESPONSE PLAN 2014
Due to the current difficulty in finding a suitable and secure office space for UN employees, the UN Humanitarian
Country Team (UNHCT) has made a decision to build a UN inter-agency Hub in Tartous (as mentioned above).
This common office will accommodate between 120 and 150 staff (both national and international). To meet this
need of the humanitarian community, as per the decision of the UNHCT, WFP will lead the construction and set-up
of the compound.
Syria Access - Ports
The main points of entry by sea to Syria are the Ports of Tartous and Lattakia located in the northwest part of the
country. Overall, Tartous Port has been the principal port of entry for WFP. Due to the crisis, there are less
international liners now calling Tartous, and the international port management company originally managing the
port departed at the end of 2012 due to insecurity. As a result, while port operations have continued in 2013 under
the new local management, issues such as malfunctioning X-Ray scanners at the Port have occasionally
hampered the pipeline flow, creating congestion, and contributing to WFP‟s decision to also increase the pipeline to
Beirut Port as a sea corridor for its supplies. Organizations such as UNICEF and UNRWA however, continue to
use Lattakia Port (closer to their suppliers in Turkey, resulting in lower costs, and more suited to their programmes
and target locations). Given its central location, the port is logistically viable as a staging area to reach locations in
both northern and central Syria. In addition, the Cluster/WFP‟s Safita Hub (situated just 30 km from Tartous) has
sufficient storage capacity to support operations.
Lebanon Access – Ports and Roads
The utilization of Lebanon‟s Beirut Port has gradually increased for both commercial and humanitarian cargo
pipelines, presently bearing a large share of the burden in terms of imports by sea for Syria, and is expected to
continue into 2014. The Port Authority is expanding its Container Terminal in line with the expected increase in
cargo. In addition, new rules have been implemented and trucks are now allowed to transport cargo at night
(previously banned), so as to minimize congestion and help to facilitate the increase in the pipeline.
Al Masnaa Border Crossing (eastern part of Lebanon) has been the most regular and consistent border crossing
point from Lebanon into Syria for the operation so far. The Al Arida Border Crossing (northern Lebanon) has faced
occasional closures, mostly due to security issues on the International Highway (leading to Tripoli and onwards to
the border). Road closures have taken place at Tripoli, Baddawi, and Akkar, mostly due to local protests. In
general, the closures remain for no more than 2-3 days and have not significantly hampered the humanitarian
operation. However, if the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate with heightened crisis at the border areas,
possible spill-over into Lebanon could result in some border crossings closing (especially in the north – Al Arida
and Abboudiyeh), creating challenges for transport from Lebanon into Syria.
Jordan – Roads/Ports
In a situation where the Lebanon corridor faces access constraints, the attention could shift to the Jordan Corridor
to Syria as a contingency. This corridor has faced issues in the past, due to sporadic opening/closure of the main
„Jaber/Naseeb‟ border crossing, and lower cost-efficiency organizations such as WFP. However, UNHCR and
UNICEF regularly use this crossing for movement of humanitarian cargo into Syria at present, with some
challenges faced in customs clearance for pharmaceutical products. Looking ahead, transporters in Jordan have
been identified by WFP, and have been successfully used to transport cargo into Syria when required, border
access permitting. Moving forward into 2014, these transport companies remain ready to scale up via this corridor
if needed. The transporter roster developed by WFP provides Logistics Cluster participants with options should the
need arise. Aqaba Port is stable, and currently faces no congestion. It is not widely used by the humanitarian
community for this emergency, but could be utilized further as an alternate Port to Beirut/Tartous if access via the
other routes/corridors deteriorates in 2014.
Fuel
Fuel prices have been rising rapidly in the country since the beginning of the year. Currently, the official prices for
fuel in Damascus are as follows: Benzene is available at 100 Syrian Pounds (SYP)/liter, and Diesel is 62 SYP/liter.
In Damascus, the official fuel price for benzene has risen as follows, from January to October 2013: (35 – 55 –
65 – 80 – 58 – 100 SYP). Overall, the above analysis reflects a 185% increase in the official price of Benzene
from January to October.
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