Syria

22 October 2024

By 20 October 2024, intensified Israeli bombardments since 23 September had led approximately 425,000 individuals to flee to Syria from Lebanon, primarily via the Jdaidet Yabous border point on the road connecting Beirut and Damascus. The majority were women and children. An estimated 70% of the arrivals were Syrian, while 30% were Lebanese. Most of the displaced have settled in local reception centres or with host communities in Damascus, Homs, Rural Damascus, and Tartous governorates. Their immediate needs include free transportation from the border to the governorates, mobile clinics in areas of arrival, and essential supplies, such as food, water, and hygiene kits. In the coming months, the distribution of winter items and the provision of livelihood support will be crucial to help these refugees and returnees meet their basic needs. (UNHCR 20/10/2024, UNHCR 21/10/2024, Bahar 21/10/2024)

02 October 2024

By 1 October 2024, UNHCR had recorded over 128,000 individuals fleeing Lebanon to Syria since 27 September primarily because of Israeli bombardments. Most were women, children, and people with disabilities, and an estimated 50–60% were under 18. Their immediate needs include medical care and transportation. The Syrian Government has set up a few collective shelters in Homs, Lattakie, and Tartous for the arrivals. (UNHCR 01/10/2024](https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unhcr-syria-flash-update-5-response-displacement-lebanon-syria-reporting-period-24-30-september-2024), UNFPA 01/10/2024)

25 September 2024

By September 2024, around 8,000 internally displaced Syrians remained stranded in the isolated Rukban camp on Syria’s border with Jordan and Iraq. The camp is facing dire humanitarian conditions, with human rights organisations reporting severe shortages of food, water, and medication, as well as a lack of adequate medical facilities and staff. Both Syrian and Jordanian authorities highly restrict access to Rukban camp, with the US military maintaining de facto control over the area yet failing to provide adequate humanitarian assistance. The camp’s population drastically declined from more than 80,000 in 2016 to around 8,000 in September 2024 given these dire humanitarian conditions. Many of the camp residents were part of Syrian opposition groups or had defected from the Syrian security forces. Their return to Syrian Government-controlled areas puts them at risk of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearance, among other human rights violations. (AI 23/09/2024, Euro-Med Monitor 08/04/2022, SOHR 21/06/2024)

17 July 2024

New rapprochement talks between Türkiye and Syria about returning Syrian refugees to the latter are raising concerns of forced returns and aggravating the IDP situation in Syria. There are around 7.2 million IDPs in the country, with more being recorded in 2024 given the spontaneous return of refugees from neighbouring countries, who cannot go back to their original place of residence because of conflict and violence. Almost half (3.4 million) live in northwestern Syria, including 1.9 million in over 1,500 last-resort informal settlements and collective centres lacking proper camp management and basic services. IDPs comprise 33% of the 16.7 million people in Syria needing humanitarian assistance in 2024, with 5.5 million IDPs requiring aid. In 2023, around 85% of IDPs in camps and 74% of out-of-camp IDPs reported being unable to meet their basic needs. Forced returns could worsen this already strained situation. (VOA 14/07/2024, TNA 11/07/2024, OCHA 03/03/2024)

01 May 2024

In 2024, over 650,000 Syrian children under five are estimated to suffer from chronic malnutrition, which causes irreversible physical and cognitive issues, such as stunting. This affects learning and productivity, as well as future earnings. Food needs are widespread countrywide but notably in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa, Hama, Idleb, and Quneitra governorates. Over half the population in these governorates needs food assistance. Five governorates, including Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor, and Idleb, report chronic malnutrition rates of over 20%. Food insecurity stems from the prolonged conflict that started in 2011 and Syria’s dire socioeconomic situation. The latter has been deteriorating since 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial system collapse in neighbouring Lebanon, the intensification of US sanctions, and the impact of the February 2023 earthquakes. Approximately 16.7 million Syrians, including 7.5 million children, are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2024. (UNICEF 14/03/2024, OCHA 03/03/2024, HRW 22/06/2023)

07 February 2024

One year after the earthquakes that hit Syria and Türkiye in February 2023, humanitarian needs in both countries persist. In Türkiye, as at 18 January 2024, over 670,000 earthquake-displaced people still lived in temporary shelters, mainly in container sites, and needed shelter, NFIs, and WASH assistance. In Syria, the earthquakes aggravated an already existing humanitarian crisis driven by a 12-year conflict accompanied by economic deterioration. In 2024, the number of people estimated to be in need throughout the country increased by 1.4 million compared to the 2023 projection. In northwestern Syria, the area most affected by the earthquake and conflict, over 800,000 people lived in tents and makeshift shelters as at 5 February 2024. Around 2.1 million will require shelter support in 2024, while 1.1 million will require NFI support. WASH, health, and protection needs also remain high in the region. (OCHA 21/12/2023, GSC 05/02/2024, Global Shelter Cluster 25/01/2024)

19 January 2024

On 16 January 2024, heavy rains in Syria resulted in high water levels in the Orontes River and its tributaries. The flooding, accompanied by strong winds, significantly affected IDP sites and towns in Northwest Syria, particularly in Idleb governorate, with the western countryside suffering the most damage. Preliminary estimates indicate that as at 19 January, the floods and strong winds had affected approximately 9,700 people in 276 IDP sites. As at 2023, there were 2.87 million IDPs in Northwest Syria, with around 1.99 million residing in over 1,500 IDP sites. The harsh winter conditions, including floods and strong winds, have heightened their existing needs for shelter, WASH, and health assistance driven by continuing conflict and the February 2023 earthquakes. (ECHO 19/01/2024, Enab Baladi 19/01/2024, OCHA 27/12/2023)