News Alert: Renewed Conflict and Displacement in Northern Syria May Bring Deadly Humanitarian Consequences as Winter Sets In 

December 04, 2024

Following renewed conflict in northern Syria, tens of thousands of people from Aleppo, Idleb, and surrounding areas have fled their homes with little to no belongings as winter weather approaches. Prior to the current offensive, over 4 million people in Northwest Syria alone were reliant on aid agencies to meet basic humanitarian needs like clean water and food, and nearly 17 million across the country depend on assistance.  

Mathieu Rouquette, Mercy Corps Country Director for Syria, says: 

“The recent surge in violence in northern Syria has forced thousands to flee their homes immediately and compounded the suffering of families already displaced for over a decade. Many are once again stranded in limbo across lines of control, others forced to shelter amid rubble, with no safe refuge as airstrikes kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and bakeries. Attacks are hindering aid delivery and risk undoing fragile progress to rebuild lives and livelihoods since the massive earthquake in 2023 and ongoing conflict in recent years. 

“The infrastructure in Northwest Syria’s displacement camps is already overstretched, and an influx of new arrivals will push limited resources past capacity, threatening to leave thousands without essential support. Approximately 800,000 people are living in tents that are unable to withstand harsh weather conditions with limited access to heat, clean water, and essentials. We already saw cholera claim lives earlier this year in the camps – and the potential for the spread of waterborne illnesses will increase exponentially with overcrowding.   

“We are also concerned about the potential impact of renewed conflict on supply chains, with safety risks and infrastructure damage disrupting both commercial and aid deliveries. These challenges are already leading to shortages and rising food prices in northern Syria. Our team members report that bakeries are running out of flour, and access to clean water is becoming increasingly limited, leaving families at greater risk of dehydration and waterborne diseases as conditions deteriorate. 

“This a crisis within a crisis. Humanitarian needs in Syria are at their highest, as funding for aid organizations is at its lowest at only 27.4%. Without rapidly scaled-up funding, aid organizations will be ill-equipped to respond to the human suffering that will soon unfold.” 

Mercy Corps has worked in Syria since 2008, providing essential support including water, food, shelter, sanitation services, and livelihoods assistance to Syrians displaced multiple times throughout the conflict. In Northwest Syria, Mercy Corps is providing critical water, hygiene and sanitation services in 45 displacement camps and is preparing to distribute shelter and other essential supplies to those affected by the conflict. In Northeast Syria, Mercy Corps is partnering with communities to meet their immediate humanitarian needs, while providing opportunities for longer-term recovery and resilience building. 

 

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