Highlights:
In Syria, despite continuation of the widespread conflict and the generalized insecurity, so far in 2016, UNICEF has reached 1.4 million people in Hard to Reach areas with integrated interventions and supplies.
In Jordan, at the eastern Syrian border, the population of Syrian asylum-seekers gathered in Rukban and Hadalat has increased to over 40,000 persons. In February, UNICEF provided life-saving assistance, such as malnutrition screening of pregnant women and infants/young children and access to appropriate WASH services to over 20,000 people.
In Iraq, UNICEF has reached more than 67,000 Syrian refugees, including around 40 % children, with improved access to safe water.
In Lebanon, UNICEF, in partnership with MEHE, launched a homework support program through 123 schools across the country targeting 20,000 Syrian children at risk of dropping out of school.
In Turkey, the number of Syrian boys and girls in schools increased significantly in February, with almost 325,000 children enrolled in formal education – a nearly 50% increase over the end of the school year in July 2015.
In Egypt, over 2,200 Syrian refugee children under the age of five received primary healthcare consultations and immunization and growth monitoring services through UNICEF-supported Primary Health Care units.
Syria
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs: Since the cessation of hostilities agreement came into effect on the 27th February, following the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2268, there has been a considerable reduction in military confrontations across Syria. Local sources and observers have reported that areas across the country were quiet “for the first time in years”, with children being able to attend school for more hours. The cessation of hostilities has improved humanitarian access to many communities in Rural Damascus and the north-western Governorates, particularly those besieged, with more than 150,000 people reached over the past month with humanitarian assistance by inter-agency convoys. Some of the besieged locations, such as Kafr Batna, had not been reached with humanitarian assistance for the past two years. Reports from the recent missions in several besieged areas paint a very dire humanitarian situation, with grave protection concerns related to restriction of movements, family separation, access to food, education and health services, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
However, some breaches to the cessation of hostilities agreement have been reported, including outbreaks of armed conflict resulting in deaths and injuries in Aleppo, Idleb, Dara’a, Damascus and Homs. While the pace of population displacement has slowed compared to early 2016, needs remain high. Of the 130,000 people displaced since the 1st of February, most are in Aleppo Governorate (over 63,0001), followed by Dara’a (over 53,000) and Idleb (over 12,000). These numbers add to the already estimated 2.2 million IDPs in Aleppo and Idleb Governorates.
In Aleppo Governorate, fighting along the Khanasir Road and the Castello Road - the one remaining supply route into Eastern Aleppo City - has had a negative impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance due to intermittent road closures. Humanitarian consignments and civilian cars have come under fire. Further north, in Azaz district, IDPs are enclosed and unable to move between Afrin and GoS-held territories around Tel Refaat town. Frontlines along the Azaz corridor, and the closure of the Bab al-Salam border crossing to civilian traffic have hindered the movement of displaced families fleeing from the fighting. Recent closures of checkpoints controlled by armed groups between Afrin and Azaz have also restricted humanitarian access to IDPs in Afrin district. Due to the influx of the displaced populations, some camps have been overwhelmed, with two or three families occupying tents intended for one, or living in communal tents. The rapid influx into the existing camps and the creation of new camps has also stretched the capacity of partners to provide services, with communities reporting challenges in accessing WASH, medical and mental health services, including reproductive health. There has been an increased number of cases of diarrhea attributed to contaminated drinking water in IDP camps.
The water network serving Eastern Aleppo City was not operational since the 16th of January. UNICEF-supported repairs and rehabilitation to the Ain Al Bayda pumping station, contributed to the re-starting of the Al Khafsa treatment plan the 3rd of March, allowing for the resumption of water provision to 300,000 people. Through the HPF, the WASH sector was able to secure over 3 million USD to meet water needs in Aleppo, Rural Damascus and Hasakeh Governorates, through the provision of safe drinking water by three international organizations. In spite of this positive achievement, the WASH sector funding status remains at 1% as of the end of February 2016, with no adequate resources to address the magnitude of the response needed.
Through the Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF), the Nutrition sector was able to secure funding for the emergency nutrition response targeting vulnerable women and children in the besieged and hard-to-reach areas of the Governorates of Rural Damascus, Deir-Ez-Zor and Hasakeh. Within the Gazientep Hub, UNICEF is procuring nutrition supplies for 13 sector partners also recipients of HPF funding.
With the ongoing conflict and the resulting displacements, partners have underlined protection risks related to restriction of movements, civilians stranded at the Turkish border, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Critical child protection concerns are related to the recruitment into armed groups and family separation. The deteriorating security situation and lack of basic needs are the main causes of the increased risk of recruitment. Due to the large IDP inflow, partners reported increased tensions between host communities and IDPs.
In Dara’ a, the number of new IDPs reached 53,000 by the end of February and limited partial returns were witnessed. Key needs remained shelter, but also sanitation, family reunifications and provision of alternative learning opportunities.
UNICEF’s Response to Hard to Reach Locations: In February 2016, UNICEF reached at least 247,5782 people in 23 hard to reach locations with WASH, education, health and nutrition and child protection services and materials. Since the Munich Agreement of the 11th-12th February, UNICEF has delivered supplies to over 80,000 beneficiaries in 5 besieged areas out of 18.