Food Security Cluster coordinates food security response during a humanitarian crisis, addressing issues of availability, access to food, and utilization.
The Cluster headquarters is based at World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome, Italy, co-led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
In my Communications Associate role at the Northwest Syria hub based in Gaziantep, I was the focal point for standardizing and producing internal information materials and external advocacy products through graphs, charts, diagrams, infographics, and reports illustrating the outcomes and achievements of the Syria cross-border food assistance operations reaching 2 million people in need monthly.
Static Dashboards and Regular Reporting
The Syrian Arab Republic is one of the most complex humanitarian crises of the declared Level 3 emergencies of the 21st century, ongoing hostilities displacing more than 1 million people internally so far, and a total of 4.2 billion USD is required (2021) for the humanitarian needs.
With more than 3 million people in need of food assistance in northwest Syria, Food Security and Agriculture sector received almost 50% of the total available funding in 2021 (446 million USD) as the top priority of the humanitarian needs.
Timely and accurate reporting plays a crucial role in emergency settings enabling quick response and efficient long-term planning. Our strengthened reporting mechanism to OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), donors, and stakeholders through refinement of existing tools and the new reporting platforms resulted in improved Cluster reputation, increased funds, and enhanced coordination.
Assessments, Quarterly Reports, and Guidelines
The Cluster conducts regular assessments with partners and collaborating organizations on the ground to further evaluate the food security situation inside Syria. Multi-page design layout supported with graphs and visual elements facilitates a broader audience to access and understand the data-driven information presented. Ready to use, well-presented assessments further endorse Cluster efforts to communicate and promote for the people in need at high-level discussions.
The Cluster conducts regular assessments with partners and collaborating organizations on the ground to further evaluate the food security situation inside Syria. Multi-page design layout supported with graphs and visual elements facilitates a broader audience to access and understand the data-driven information presented. Ready to use, well-presented assessments further endorse Cluster efforts to communicate and promote for the people in need at high-level discussions.
The FSL Cluster publishes and updates quarterly reports on Syria operations and comprehensive guidelines on food aid distribution, agriculture, irrigation, and livelihoods prepared by and with the expertise of Cluster partner organizations, coordinators, and leading agencies, FAO and WFP.
Advocacy and Communications
The operations NW Syria hub coordinating with some 70 active implementing partners are made possible through the Syria-Turkey Cross-Border program under UN Resolution 2585 (2021), which is up for renewal periodically every year based on the needs.
We developed a communications strategy planning for the first time as a Cluster within the Syria context to further advocate for the 2021 Resolution renewal that inspired other stakeholders to elevate their advocacy efforts and sparked new initiatives from the ground up.
The establishment of the Media Focal Points group led to the formation of a database with high-quality images, videos, and beneficiary stories categorized for each partner organization and ready to be used for further communication efforts. The materials fed into the seven-story series "Voices from the Field" and shared through Mailchimp. Each story focused on different sector objectives (emergency, food assistance, agriculture & livelihoods), representing partners' reach on the ground as a whole.
Click here to read seven issues of the Voices from the Field.
To complement the 'Voices from the Field' series, we published two easy-to-digest fact-sheets for the decision-makers during the time-sensitive period of the UN Resolution renewal. The products received positive feedback and were utilized at the UN Security Council session to present facts and figures underlining the continuation of the Resolution for cross-border assistance.
Credits
CLIENT
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
YEAR OF COMPLETION
2022
FOCUS
Humanitarian Aid
SERVICES
Infographics, Editorial Design, Communications & Advocacy
FSL CLUSTER NORTHWEST SYRIA HUB TEAM
Francesco Slaviero
Anas Almohammad
Ahmad Nached
Abdo Saffaf
Mohammad Alobaidy
PHOTOS
ATAA, HIHFAD, SHAFAK, IYD