SHO implements comprehensive Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) interventions to respond to the acute and long-term needs of families affected by conflict, displacement, and economic collapse in Syria. The program addresses both immediate humanitarian crises and sustainable income generation, particularly in rural and marginalized areas.

Program Objectives

Reduce malnutrition among mothers and children through targeted interventions, including nutritional supplementation for pregnant and lactating women, maternal and child nutrition programs, promotion and support of breastfeeding, provision of safe infant formula alternatives when necessary, and therapeutic feeding programs for children suffering from acute malnutrition.

Enhance household and community food security by providing food assistance (both in-kind and cash-based transfers) as well as essential non-food items such as cooking utensils and personal hygiene supplies, ensuring vulnerable families can meet their basic needs with dignity.

Promote sustainable livelihoods and income-generating opportunities by empowering individuals through vocational training, delivering agricultural and veterinary capacity-building programs for farmers and livestock breeders, facilitating access to local markets for product distribution, and supporting small-scale income-generating activities with the necessary materials, tools, and inputs.

Key Activities

1. Emergency Food Security and Non-Food Assistance

In response to ongoing bombardments, sieges, natural disasters and mass displacement, SHO provides life-saving support to communities that have lost access to basic needs such as food, shelter, heating, and healthcare. Vulnerable groups—including internally displaced persons (IDPs), large families, and households without breadwinners—are prioritized.

Food Assistance:
• Distribution of periodic food baskets containing essential food items.
• Provision of hot meals in shelters and collective centers.
• Specialized nutritional support for malnourished children.

Non-Food Items:
• Hygiene and cleaning kits, including COVID19- prevention supplies.
• Winterization support (heating fuel, blankets, mattresses, carpets, and heaters).

Shelter Support:
• Rental assistance for displaced families unable to afford safe housing.

Medical Aid:
• Financial support for healthcare expenses of chronically ill or vulnerable individuals.

These emergency interventions are designed to preserve life, dignity, and wellbeing during displacement or siege, especially during the harsh winter months.

2. Food Security & Nutrition

• Cash-based distributions to vulnerable families to meet immediate food needs.
• Provision of specialized food baskets for pregnant and lactating women suffering from malnutrition.
• Promotion and support of breastfeeding, along with safe infant formula alternatives when necessary.
• Regular distribution of food baskets containing nutritional supplements for children under six suffering from malnutrition.

3. Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment

• Vocational training programs for youth (both male and female) to enhance skills and employability.
• Training in marketing, business management, project management and entrepreneurship to strengthen small business capacities.
• Support for value chains, connecting producers to consumers and local markets to improve market access and income.
• Assistance to agricultural and livestock projects in rural areas, with consideration for climate change adaptation and sustainable water resource management.