North-West Syria: Situation Report (23 March 2023)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Heavy rain and storms affected north-west Syria over the weekend flooding 30 displacement sites, 1,500 tents were destroyed or damaged.

• The cholera vaccination campaign in north-west Syria is finalized. Almost 1.7 million people have been vaccinated in the earthquake hit areas.

• On 20 March, €7 billion was pledged at the International Donors' Conference in Brussels to support the people affected by earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

• The first reserve allocation for Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF) is completed disbursing $36 million to 58 projects in support of all sectors.

• As of 14 March, more than 17,500 displaced people returned to their homes in Ariha, Jandairis and Ehsem sub-districts.

BACKGROUND

Disclaimer

This Situation Report covers developments in north-west Syria and Ras Al Ain – Tell Abiad. OCHA Türkiye prepares this report with the support of Cluster Coordinators and the Humanitarian Field Officers (HFO). The data/information collected come from both sources.

FEATURE

Heavy rainstorms hit north-west Syria and Donors’ Conference in Brussels

On 20 March, a total of €7 billion was pledged by the international community at the ‘Together for the people of Türkiye and Syria International Donors' Conference held in Brussels to support the people affected by earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, co-hosted by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, for the Swedish Presidency of the Council.

A total of €950 million in grants for Syria were pledged to help meet humanitarian needs and support early recovery and resilience.

On 18 March, heavy rainfall and storms affected north-west Syria (Dana, Maaret Masrin, Jandairis, Mhambal, Armanaz and Idleb). According to CCCM cluster, one injury was reported, and 30 displacement sites were flooded in the earthquake affected areas. Some 600 tents were destroyed and 897 damaged. Most of these sites were displacement sites created from the earthquakes. There is an urgent need to support these sites with shelter and essentials supplies such as plastic sheets and food parcels.

“I used to think that the earthquake was the hardest thing we would go through, but this flood was also difficult.”

Sail al-Ahmad and his wife are displaced from the countryside of Hama, and currently living in Adwan camp, located in the Ora Qabli – Adwan village in the southern countryside of Idleb. On the night when their camp was flooded due to torrential rain, he said “people started screaming and running out of their tents and left everything and fled.”

“Our tents were completely flooded; it may take a month or more until I can get the water out of my tent. Everything is unusable and everything is wet including our clothes and food. We were shivering from the cold and we couldn't do anything.” Sail added.

Sail's wife added, "I don't know how to clean the things in our tent. It's all covered with water and mud. My husband wades in the water and brings some things to clean, we lost everything, even our house, we cannot enter it now.”