As a displaced population returns to their own countries, they find their homes damaged or destroyed. There are no public services, and the cold weather makes living conditions more desperate.
Ten years after the start of the internal conflict in Syria, despite the decrease in violence and fighting, the living conditions of the population continue to deteriorate, and the outlook for 2021 is not optimistic. According the data from the UN Agency for Refugees, the UNHCR, there are 6.7 million internally displaced persons, in addition to to 6 million refugees abroad.
The most affected areas in Syria
The areas in Syria where INTERSOS intervenes are among the hardest hit by the war. These are in the heart of Syria: the northern areas of the governorate of Hama, the southern rural areas of the governorate of Idlib, and the governorate of rural Damascus. Most of the houses in these areas are destroyed or damaged. There is no access to electricity because the distribution channels have been bombed. The only access to water comes from tankers. Those who were able to return to their homes following the cessation of conflict had time to make only small repairs, makeshift plastic covers for doorways and windows, which is unsustainable with the harsh climate and onset of winter. Between the governorates of Hama, rural Damascus and Idib, there are 2 million people that need non-food related basic goods.
The number of people in need of humanitarian aid is increasing
In 2020, following a decrease in combat, the Global Humanitarian Overview from OCHA in Syria registered deteriorating humanitarian conditions and projects this will continue in 2021. The number of people in need of humanitarian aid – according to the review- is returning to 2018 levels, when it was 13 million. The population is suffering the combined effects of a health crisis, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis and inflationary growth (the cost of the basic food basket increased by 247% between October 2019 and October 2020). In particular, due to the economic crisis there is a worrying increase in food insecurity and child malnutrition: in one year, the number of persons in need rose from 7.9 million to 9.3 million.
At the forefront of protection
Thanks to the support of the European Union, INTERSOS works in collaboration with SARC (Syrian Arab Red Crescent) in the sector of protection, helping the most vulnerable people included children and single-income women, pregnant or breast-feeding women, the elderly and disabled, providing them with psychosocial support. Unlike the previous winter, when the humanitarian intervention was focused on supporting the population fleeing the military offensive in the Idlib area, this year INTERSOS directs its focus to individuals returning to their homes and find themselves facing the harsh consequences of war.
Moreover, there are plans for a winter support program, which will provide support to 6,600 individuals, of which 50% are women and 43% are children.