GOPA Intervention to meet the essential food items needs of most vulnerable communities Since the beginning of the crisis in 2011, Syria has witnessed significant challenges in the humanitarian and security situation across the country, leading to an increase of displacement that has had a negative impact on the IDPs and affected groups.
Several factors including international sanctions and massive inflation worsened the economy and public services and left industries and livelihoods paralyzed leaving millions of people completely aid dependent.
As prices increase, families have been forced to adopt detrimental measures to cope. A recent survey completed by the World Food Programme (WFP) reveals that some families are cutting down from three meals per day to two, there is an increase in the number of people purchasing food on credit and families are selling assets and livestock to generate additional income.
The project objective is to provide highly vulnerable Syrian families affected by the crisis in rural Deir-Ez_Zor and Homs with food items to maintain their health, privacy amp dignity.
This project would  provide mid term sustainable resilience to those most in need for food items assistance.
It is worth to be mentioned that GOPA has a previous experience in implementing such projects with OCHA and other NGOs and INGOS in and has access to these areas. and has an offices, warehouses and community centers in the target areas.
The primary target beneficiaries will be  war-affected vulnerable families from communities. Special emphasis is placed on targeting efforts towards female-headed households, families with pregnant and/or lactating women, families with children under 2 - 5 years of age, family members who are disabled/have special needs and/or family members who are elderly.
This project will target total of 3.800 households in rural Deir- Ez-Zor and Homs by distribution food parcels on three rounds for each HH during project life as following:
- Deir- Ez-Zor - Al Mayadin (C5192) 5,400 food parcels will be distributed to 1,800 H.H through three distribution rounds.
- Deir- Ez-Zor- Ashara (C5210) 3,600 food parcels will be distributed to 1,200 H.H. through three distribution rounds 
- Homs- Saded (C2677)2,400 food parcels will be distributed to 800 H.H. through three distribution rounds.

The project was planned to target H.H with food parcels in four rounds
But due to limited resources, and after coordination with the FAS, it was agreed to target families with only three rounds.
GOPA will coordinate with FAS and all parties in the targeted areas in order to secure the fourth round by referral the target beneficiaries to other partners working at the same area , if available, also GOPA is keen to include the fourth round in its upcoming projects plan in next year in coordination with SHF, FAS and other GOPA donors in case no actors are working currently in the target areas.
Coordination was also made with the FAS regarding the contents of the parcels, which guarantee 1,500 calories per person per day, which is meet the sector standards. 
GOPA's MAEL staff will select random number of beneficiaries in order to conduct a baseline survey before the distribution of  food parcels, and Endline survey for same beneficiaries to ensure measuring the targeted HH’s food security level.

Since the project is targeting rural areas where there are no large markets that have the capacity to meet the needs, GOPA relied on the method of distributing food parcels instead of vouchers or cash assistance.
In addition to saving the transportation expenses of the beneficiaries when going to the shopping centers in order to exchange the vouchers. For this, the GOPA will choose the location of the distribution and registration in familiar, public and accessible places, taking into account the social environment of the target area (GOPA centers, mosque square, school, municipal building, ...)

Coordination emails with the sector have been attached to the documents tab.