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Since 26 May, the Euphrates River has experienced a significant rise in water levels, exceeding the normal levels by more than 4 meters. As of 04 June, the only reliable crossing point for vehicles and trucks is the Euphrates Dam Bridge near al Tabqa.

Impacted bridges are as follows:

• Hatla Bridge: completely destroyed

• Floating Bridge: damaged and currently non-operational

• Al Mayadeen Bridge: completely destroyed

• Ashara Bridge: heavily damaged and initially closed; following recent maintenance by the Deir Ezzor Governorate, it has been reopened for limited civilian use (motorbikes and small trucks), though its load capacity remains unverified

• Baghoz Bridge (near Al-Bukamal): currently operational, but with no confirmed load capacity

WFP is ready to support the partners with the following On-Demand Services (ODS):

• Storage space on the western and eastern sides of the Deir Ezzor Governorate

• Transportation to the eastern side of the Deir Ezzor Governorate

• WFP will be installing 5 MSUs in Deir Ezzor on both sides (under the Government Capacity Strengthening programme) 

Follow up and share all updates on LOGIE HERE 

• WFP Türkiye introduced the logistics hub, including cold-chain warehousing services, in Mersin and informed partners of its ability to extend these services to other locations across Türkiye upon request and partners’ needs. 

• Since January 2026, WFP established a Türkiye-Syria priority cross-border lane with Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade to accelerate cross-border customs clearance, bypassing commercial lanes at the border crossing. There is no waiting time compared to previous waiting periods up to 2,500 trucks per day with a maximum clearance capacity of 600 trucks per day. 

• Since January, the priority lane has allowed WFP to dispatch 1,800 trucks carrying 44,000mts of food into Syria and 50mt overland into Lebanon. Operational savings are expected to be around US$ 660,000 by mid-year and zero waiting periods to protect medical and perishable cargo, especially relevant with upcoming summer temperatures. 

• For now, this on-demand service is available only to other UN agencies

UN agencies importing humanitarian cargo from Türkiye into Syria or Lebanon are encouraged to contact tugba.isot@wfp.org and nasir.nazari@wfp.org from WFP Türkiye for details.

• Under the Importation Working Group, IMPACCT and humanitarian partners mapped importation gaps, bottlenecks and existing procedures in a comparative analysis. The final output is a draft advocacy note for the HCT and the government, outlining a clear roadmap for the importation process, designated focal points and streamlined communication channels.

• Over the next two weeks, the Syria Logistics sector will prepare a draft Best Practises and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for partners to provide technical feedback. The document is intended for new humanitarian organizations in Syria. 

• The advocacy letter also includes a request to the Government of Syria to discuss emergency-level SOPs for a fast-track importation of cargo, in case of a sudden-onset emergency in Syria. 

The Cash WG detailed challenges around the new Syria Pound payment regulations, ongoing liquidity and exchange rate challenges and compliance requirements. 

• Transition to Syrian pounds (SYP) is creating operational friction due to liquidity shortages, inconsistent guidance from authorities, and wide exchange-rate gaps across Syria’s Central Bank, commercial banks, and the parallel market. Partners are recommended to plan for rate volatility and limited liquidity in budgeting, vendor negotiations and cash programming.

• Ongoing coordination with the Central Bank, MoFA, and The Resident Coordinator’s Office is focused on exchange rate alignment, liquidity improvements, and clearer unified guidance for humanitarian actors. The Cash WG will share updates for partners to be ready to adapt processes as new guidance or negotiated solutions are issued.

• Contracts can still be set in USD but must be paid in SYP, with agencies relying on commercial bank rates and case‑by‑case negotiation, leading to low harmonization across organizations. 
  Partners are advised to build flexibility into contracts (e.g., rate-at-payment terms) and actively manage supplier expectations to reduce exchange-risk exposure.

• Partners reported suppliers refusing USD pricing or struggling with SYP-only payments, especially for long-term contracts where exchange rate shifts create losses. The lack of consistent practice with cash vs transfer payments modality options remains a practical bottleneck impacting payments and procurement. USD payments are still seen to be tolerated in some areas of Syria due to limited banking infrastructure (eg. North-Eastern Syria).

• The Cash WG plans to take forward advocacy for more favorable exchange arrangements (similar to what existed previously for humanitarians) and improved clarity with Syria’s Central Bank and authorities. The WG is finalizing data analysis (surveys on exchange rates and practices) and will use it to advise the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). 

• Partners communicated these to be priority concerns that require sustained attention, advocacy and harmonization to reduce inconsistencies 

For more information, partners should contact the Syria Cash Working Group co-chair via jomah.alqasem@un.org 

• The new ODS Aleppo warehouse is now available to partners. The storage capacity is 12,000sqm. Partners are encouraged to contact the ODS team for requests. 

• As shared by Syria UNHAS team, Deir Ezzor and Qamishli airport closures were extended for another three months until August 2026

• The Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA) update for Syria is ongoing. 

• The warehouse mapping survey results are to be published and updated on LogIE next week. 

• Partners will receive a survey request from the Syria Logistics Sector to develop a pre-position stock dashboard for Syria, coordinated with the Information Management Working Group.