UNHCR Increases Aid to Syria
More than 95,000 people have been given emergency aid. Thousands more are in need.
It is the civilians who suffer most as the fighting in Syria continues to escalate. Tens of thousands of people are escaping the violence in the northern part of Syria
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern Syria are now in harm’s way. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be a target,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
The UN Refugee agency is calling on parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law, especially providing access to aid agencies to deliver emergency support to those most affected.
Syrian Arab and Kurdish civilians arrive to Tall Tamr town, in the Syrian northwestern Hasakeh province, after fleeing bombardment. © UNHCR/Delil Souleiman
Displaced family flees bombardment of Ras a-Ain. Tens of thousands more have been forced to leave their homes and are in need of humanitarian assistance. © Ritzau Scanpix
Displaced Syrians, who fled their homes in the border town of Ras al-Ain, receive humanitarian aid on October 12, 2019, in the town of Tal Tamr in the countryside of Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province. © UNHCR/Delil Souleiman
In Dire Need of Life-Saving Aid
UNHCR continues to be on the ground providing emergency aid to those who have been forced to flee. In Syria, we have been able to assist with core relief and winter items like blankets, mattresses, and solar lamps to nearly 95,000 newly displaced Syrians living in the camps and in collective shelters, as well as those forced to flee from one camp to another. In Iraq, given that the recently opened Bardarash camp is full with over 11,000 refugees, UNHCR in collaboration with local authorities and partners has set up a new transit site in Gawilan. New arrivals continue to be recorded with an average of 1,200 per day. 75% are women and children, some of whom unaccompanied.
Refugees were transferred from the border and provided with UNHCR family tents, hot meals, water, blankets and other essential items, as well as medical and psychosocial attention. With our partners, we continue to identify key protection needs and provide support to the most vulnerable people.
A Worsening Situation
The conflict in Syria has been raging on for eight years. More than 6.2 million people are displaced inside Syria. 5.6 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries including Turkey who hosts more than 3.6 million.
It is critical for humanitarian agencies to continue working in Syria. UNHCR calls for need of unfettered humanitarian access to aid civilian sin dire need of aid. UNHCR also reiterates its position that any return of refugees to Syria has to be voluntary, dignified and at a time when it is safe to return. It is up to refugees to decide if and when they wish to return.
UNHCR estimates that an additional USD 31.5 million will be needed to help assist the families who have escaped and are continuing to escape the fighting.
UNHCR staff member comforting refugee woman as the first group of Syrians arrived in Bardarash Camp in Duhok. © UNHCR/Rasheed Hussein Rasheed
Syrian families sit down to a hot meal provided by UNHCR and its partner staff at Bardarash refugee camp in Duhok Governorate, north-west Iraq. © UNHCR/Rasheed Hussein Rasheed
Syrian families arrive at Domiz refugee camp in Duhok, northern Iraq, where UNHCR staff assist them with food, water, shelter, blankets and other relief items. © UNHCR/Rasheed Hussein Rasheed
Rojin Ibrahim Davoud, a 28-year-old mother of four, holds one of her children outside a tent in Bardarash camp in Duhok, Iraq. © UNHCR/Hossein Fatemi
Eight-year-old Raghda Abbas Suleiman looks over a wall near her shelter at Bardarash camp in Duhok, Iraq, a day after arriving with her family. © UNHCR/Hossein Fatemi
Supporting Syria
UNHCR has been providing life-saving aid to Syrian refugees, internally displaced families and host communities since the beginning of the crisis. Your monthly donations have made this possible. As part of our community of givers, you enable us to give life-saving assistance and protection to Syrian families.
As the situation continues to worsen, we hope that you would be able to help us in providing additional aid to the families who are affected by this violence.
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