The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that casualties, especially among children, are rising in north-west Syria as shelling and airstrikes continue to pound the areas of Idleb and western Aleppo. In its latest situation report, OCHA said Friday that more than 2,300 places have been affected by the violence, resulting in the displacement of more than 120,000 people since the escalation began in early October.
“What’s particularly distressing is the growing reports of child deaths, the youngest being six months old,” said David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis.
“I reiterate my call to all parties to respect their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, particularly regarding the protection of civilians and civilian objects. In no circumstances should a child be collateral damage,” he added.
According to local health authorities, at least 70 people have been killed, including three aid workers, 14 women and 27 children, and 338 others injured, including 77 children. On average, this means that at least one child has been killed per day during the period of escalation. The UN office said that on October 22 alone, six children – all under the age of 10 – lost their lives due to shelling on the Qarqour village.
The civil society organization Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said in a report Thursday that Syrian government forces were responsible for the shelling and the airstrikes. The report also documented at least 65 ground attacks on civilian facilities by the Syrian government in northwestern Syria since October 5.
The number of health facilities impacted by the recent hostilities has reportedly risen to 43 including maternity and child hospitals and multiple primary healthcare centers. Other affected critical facilities and infrastructure include 24 schools and over 20 water systems.
According to OCHA, the security and displacement situations remain fluid as hostilities are ongoing. The response landscape in frontline areas however is strikingly limited where only a handful of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are delivering aid including food baskets provided by the World Food Programme (WFP). According to local authorities, only a third of the 16,000 families residing in the Jabal Al Zawya area receive food support.
The UN and its humanitarian partner organizations are continuing to respond to growing needs. OCHA said over 42,000 people have been supported with food, nearly 26,000 people with protection services, including psychosocial support, and 4,000 people with tents. Over 21,500 family hygiene kits have been distributed.
Since October 5, Greater Idleb has been hit by a series of airstrikes and shelling attacks. Syrian forces launched retaliatory shelling after an attack on a graduation ceremony at the Homs Military Academy killed and injured scores of attendees the same day. During October, north-west Syria witnessed an uptick in hostilities, adding more to the suffering of those who have already experienced twelve years of conflict.
Meanwhile, north-east Syria is also hit by air strikes. Since October 5, Turkey escalated its ongoing drone strikes on Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria after a group affiliated with the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) claimed it had carried out an October 1 suicide attack on Turkey’s Interior Ministry in the capital Ankara, that wounded two policemen.
The international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said a report Thursday that drone strikes by Turkish Armed Forces on Kurdish-held areas of north-east Syria since October 5, have damaged critical infrastructure and resulted in water and electricity disruptions for millions of people. The strikes on more than 150 locations in north and east Syria in the governorates of al-Hasakeh, Raqqa, and Aleppo, killed reportedly dozens of people including civilians, and damaged civilian structures.
"By targeting critical infrastructure across north-east Syria, including power and water stations, Turkey has flouted its responsibility to ensure that its military actions do not aggravate the region's already dire humanitarian crisis," said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
Addressing a UN General Assembly committee Tuesday, Paulo Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, warned that “we are witnessing the largest escalation of hostilities in Syria in four years.”
The Syrian conflict is one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises worldwide. The crisis continues to cause tremendous human suffering to people both inside and outside the country. People in Syria have been subject to massive and systematic violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
While continuing conflict in some parts of the country, record highs of food prices, an economic crisis, ongoing displacement, climatic shocks and disease continue to exacerbate humanitarian needs, more than two thirds of the Syrian population are in need of assistance. Overall, 15.3 million people – or 70 percent of the population – need some form of humanitarian aid. Among them are 6.5 million children.
“The living conditions of the Syrian people continue to deteriorate alarmingly. The Syrian pound lost over 80 percent of its value in just three months, and over 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Those most vulnerable, including women heading households, are most affected,” Pinheiro said.
The UN estimates that more than 300,000 civilians have been killed in the Syrian war since 2011. Twelve years of conflict in Syria have led to one of the two largest displacement crises in the world, with more than 12.6 million people fleeing their homes. While 6.8 million women, men and children are internally displaced in their own country, the ongoing civil war has resulted in more than 5.7 million Syrian refugees, located mostly in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
“Syrians abroad want to return home if they can be safe, and if they can access their homes. At the moment many cannot,” Pinheiro said.
The February earthquakes further exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Syria, affecting around 8.8 million people. In north-west Syria, at least 4.1 million people rely on humanitarian aid to meet their most basic needs.
In August, the United Nations reached agreement with the Syrian government on the use of the main border crossing - Bab al-Hawa - from Turkey into north-west Syria. The UN cross-border aid operation has been a lifeline to north-west Syria for several years, reaching an average of 2.6 million people each month with humanitarian aid including food, medicines, and shelter items. The UN moves about 85 percent of aid to north-west Syria through Bab al-Hawa, making it vital to its aid operation.
Pinheiro warned that next month there will again be uncertainty over whether cross-border and cross-line humanitarian aid destined for the most vulnerable communities can continue unimpeded, when the Syrian government’s consent for two other crossings - Bab al-Salam and Al Ra’ee - risks expiration on November 13.
“This situation needs to end. The international community must ensure that cross-border humanitarian assistance is provided at the necessary scale and in a sustainable, predictable manner,” he said.
Underfunding is also severely hampering humanitarian operations in the country and neighboring countries affected by the refugee crisis.
The revised Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Syria requires US$5.4 billion, but it is currently only 30 percent funded. The Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), covering refugees and host communities throughout the region, appeals for US $5.77 billion and is just 12 percent funded.
Further information
Full text: North-west Syria: Escalation of Hostilities - Flash Update No.4, 27 October 2023, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, released October 27, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/north-west-syria-escalation-hostilities-flash-update-no4-27-october-2023
Full text: Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Disrupt Water, Electricity. Attacks Exacerbate Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis for Millions, Human Rights Watch, report, released October 26, 2023
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/26/northeast-syria-turkish-strikes-disrupt-water-electricity
Full text: Statement by Paulo Pinheiro Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Third Committee, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, released October 24, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/10/statement-paulo-pinheiro-chair-independent-international-commission-inquiry