Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in cooperation with

FAO, WFP and UNRWA

Organize a workshop on the results of Socio –Economic and Food Security survey 

On Wednesday 04/09/2013, PCBS and its UN partners (FAO, WFP and UNRWA) had organized a workshop on the results of Scio-economic and food security survey, that attended by the line ministries and number of donor agencies as well as international organizations.

 Ms. Ola Awad, president of PCBS had opened the workshop by welcoming the attendances and highlighted the importance of presenting the results of the mentioned survey in the context of the PCBS policy to provide decision makers with the required data and for the sake of the development the used methodologies and to meet the stakeholder’s statistical needs.

Ms. Awad pointed out that the implementation of this survey came just after the Israeli war on Gaza late 2012; the sample size of the survey was 8359 households in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip to cover a huge number of socio-economic indicators.

Mr. Mustafa Khawaja, the project manager in PCBS had presented the main results as follow:

Third of the Palestinians suffer food insecurity (about 1.6 million); of which more than half of them in Gaza Strip

The results showed that a complete reversal of the progressive improvements in food security reported since 2010; about 34% of the households suffer food insecurity compared with 33% and 27% for the years 2010 and 2011 respectively, of which 19% in the West Bank in 2012 compared with 22% and 17% for the years 2010 and 2011 respectively. As for Gaza Strip; it was 57% in 2012 compared with 52% and 44% for the years 2010 and 2011 respectively.

West Bank remains more resilient to shocks than Gaza Strip

The result revealed that the sharp decrease in the number of food secure persons in the West Bank was absorbed almost completely by the vulnerable to food insecurity and marginally food secure groups (34% in 2012 comparing with 45% in 2011). In Gaza Strip, food security levels have collapsed in 2012, with a 13 point decrease in the percentage of food secure households compared to 2011 (a 57 percent decrease in relative terms).

Refugee food insecurity in Gaza Strip is better than in the West Bank

As for the refugee status, the data showed that refugee food insecurity in Gaza Strip is consistently lower (56% against 60% for non-refugees), on the other hand; refugee food insecurity in the West Bank is bit higher (23% against 18% for non-refugees).

Consumption gap increases as food insecure face cut backs on assistance

The steep increase in the post-assistance consumption gap reflected the heightened constraints the food insecure face in meeting their minimum needs in 2012 (whether through their own means or by relying on external assistance). In the West Bank, the contribution of the assistants (Governmental, non -governmental, Zakah, relative family and other) declined from 7% in 2011 to 3% in 2012, while it was in Gaza Strip 7% in 2012 compared with 14% in 2011. 

Line ministries and UN partners assured the importance of the survey data forward improving the planning and better use of resources

Presenting the results followed by key notes from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development, that emphasize the importance of this survey and the data provided through the implementation of such activity as it will contribute in building their 2014-2016 strategic plans, and will be significantly contributed in developing the monitoring and evaluation system at the Ministry of Planning. Moreover, the UN partners (FAO, WFP and UNRWA) commented on the necessity of expanding the utilization of this survey to improve the national plans and to better and efficient use of the available resources as well as the improvement of the social safety net programmes.

 The workshop called for efficient dialogue to develop the methodologies of the survey to meet the national needs of statistical data

The workshop closed by Ms Ola Awad by highlighting the recommendations of the attendances on the need of discussion and dialogue with line ministries and all stakeholders to improve the methodologies of this survey and to go beyond the food security indicators and to be part of the platform on the issue of poverty and consumption survey discussion towards enable PCBS meet the development of the national statistical monitoring system.