Highlights
According to the Camp Management and Camp Coordination (CCCM) cluster, at least 131,394 people have been displaced in Aleppo, Hama and Idleb governorates from 05 October to 17 November.
At least two humanitarian organizations suspended activities and many agencies had to scale down or move their operations to other locations due to security concerns in southern rural Aleppo.
Aerial attacks on medical facilities and staff continued as medical facilities in Maarat al-Nu’man and Taftanaz (Idleb) and Al-Ais in southern rural Aleppo were hit during the reporting period. This brings the total number of attacks against health facilities to 12 since GoS and allied forces launched offensive in Aleppo, Idleb and Hama on 30 September.
According to the Education cluster, two schools were destroyed by air strikes in southern rural Aleppo on 10 November and an airstrike on a tertiary preparatory school in Ma’arat an-Nu’man killed three students and injured another 20 on 15 November.
On 17 November, air strikes destroyed the sole bakery in Atareb City in Aleppo serving thousands of people.
Humanitarian partners have scaled up their interventions to meet assessed needs. Agencies have already delivered over 6,000 family-sized tents, 17,779 food baskets and 100,610 kg of bread and scaled up provision of water and sanitation services to an additional 11,000 people in IDP camps and settlements. Likewise, partners provided health services to IDPs through nine mobile clinics and distributed bedding items and plastic sheets to
However, gaps remain in the provision of shelter, NFI kits, WASH services in camps, and education services and materials.
The map below demonstrates active frontlines and major IDP flight routes in Aleppo, Idleb and Hama as of 17 November 2015;
Situation Overview
Throughout November, Government of Syria (GoS) and allies continued offensives, which began in early October in southern rural Aleppo, northern Hama and Idleb. Heightened military presence and intensified GoS and allied forces’ air strikes have led to an escalation of fighting on numerous fronts in Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs)-held areas in these governorates. The GoS have made substantial gains in eastern Aleppo around Kweires airport and around southern Aleppo including Hadher town seizing approximately 420 square kilometers of new territory. NSAGs launched an offensive on Morek town in early November managing to seize the town and secure part of the HamaAleppo highway approaching Hama City, situated approximately 20 km away.
The Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster reports that 131,394 individuals were displaced from 05 October to 17 November in Aleppo, Idleb and Hama as a result of intensified fighting and aerial bombardment. Of those, 50,911 were displaced in Aleppo, 73,398 fled from Hama, 6,408 fled from Homs and 7,085 were displaced within Idleb.
During the reporting period, GoS and allied forces struck at least three hospitals in Aleppo and Idleb. On 31 October, air strikes targeted Al-Ais medical point in southern rural Aleppo that suffered extensive damage and suspended activities. This medical point had been established after al-‘Ais field hospital suspended activities due to aerial attacks on 16 October. On 04 November, an airstrike hit a medical facility in Maarat an-Nu’man in Idleb killing one medical worker and rendering the facility out of service due to severe damage. On 11 November, another medical facility in Taftanaz, Idleb sustained minor damages as an airstrike hit a nearby area. These last two attacks injured five individuals including one child under five. This brings the total number of attacks against health facilities to 12 during the period of 30 September to 17 November.
GoS forces have also overtaken at least five schools in Zarbah and Hadher according to the Education cluster. Two of these schools were completely destroyed as a result of GoS and allied forces’ air strikes on 10 November.
Likewise, GoS and allied forces’ airstrikes hit a tertiary preparatory school in in Maarat an-Nu’man in Idleb. As a result, three students aged between 12 and 15 were killed and 20 students were injured. Populations previously settled in schools have largely been displaced to other locations as a result of such attacks. Continuing displacement, often occurring quickly and unexpectedly, make the implementation of education activities and access more challenging. Furthermore, a large capacity bakery was hit in an airstrike carried out by GoS forces and allies in Atareb town in northern Aleppo on 17 November. According to sources in the area, the bakery was providing bread to more than 20,000 families per day. Likewise, airstrikes also hit a market place in Ma’arrat an-Nu’man killing nine civilians and injuring 25 others causing massive destruction on 15 November.
Idleb and Hama
GoS forces and allies launched offensives in northern Hama against NSAG-held villages of Kafer Naboudeh, Kafer Zita, Latmaniyah, Lahaya and Madiq Castle on 30 September. After initial gains by GoS forces, NSAGs subsequently launched counter attacks, recapturing most of the previously lost territories. On 5 November, NSAGs launched a counter offensive in northern Hama, advancing onto the strategic town of Morek, eventually managing to secure part of the Hama – Aleppo highway, only 20 km away from Hama city.
As a result of intensified shelling and aerial bombardment in the Kafer Zita, Latmanah and Suran sub-districts, several waves of displacement have taken place during the reporting period. According to CCCM, from 05 October to 17 November 80,483 people have been displaced from Hama and Idleb governorates towards central Idleb and IDP camps and informal shelters adjacent to the Turkish border. More specifically, local sources report that 1,171 families were displaced from Lathmanah, Kafr Naboodeh, Kafr Zaita, Madiq Castle, Hamra, Suran and Tiba Elemam towards Hama City. The majority of IDPs are living with host communities in northern and central Idleb. IDPs in close proximity to immediate frontlines have set up informal settlements in outdoor areas amongst olive groves and unfinished buildings most prominently around Kafr Naboodeh, Kafr Nabool, Idleb City and Heish towns. According to SARC, most urgent needs of displaced communities are food and NFIs in Hama City. SARC have yet to respond as they only received food parcels from WFP on 15 November for distribution in affected areas.
Aleppo
As of 16 October, GoS forces and allies launched a large-scale offensive against NSAG- held towns in southern Aleppo following a period of more than one year of military inactivity in the area. To date, the GoS has made substantial gains in eastern Aleppo around Kweires airport and in southern Aleppo towards the M5 Aleppo– Damascus highway. Subsequently GoS forces have captured approximately 420 square kilometers of new territory from NSAGs in southern Aleppo, including the opposition strongholds of al-Hader, Iss village, Iss hill and International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) facilities. GoS and allied forces have further advanced onto Tel Hadiyeh, almost cutting the Aleppo–Damascus highway and advancing towards the besieged GoS–held besieged villages of Fu’a and Kafraya. Consequently, movement on the M5 from the north of Saraqab town in Idleb northwards to Zarbah in Aleppo is suspended.
Rapid ground offensives, increased shelling and aerial bombardment in the sub districts of al-Hader, Tel Ed-daman Iss and Zarbah have triggered a new wave of mass displacement to Taftanaz, Atareb and Daret Azza sub districts in eastern Idleb and the western countryside of Aleppo. According to the CCCM, 50,911 people were displaced in Aleppo since 16 October. OCHA Damascus reports that according to SARC Aleppo, 1,700 families coming from Al Wdihi, Hadher and Iss have been registered in Atareb sub-district in western Aleppo.
The majority of IDPs have relocated to locations away from fighting in opposition-held areas, but still in close proximity to their original towns and villages. A large portion of those displaced have been unable to access sufficient shelter due to space restrictions as most houses and collective shelters among most host communities have already reached full capacity.