UNHCR Responds To Mass Displacement in Hassakeh and Aleppo
The ongoing fighting in Aleppo has resulted in significant movement of civilians. Thousands of people fled their homes in west Aleppo, mainly from the 1070 project and Tishrin, with many displaced for a second or third time. Some are staying with host families in other parts of the city while thousands are camped out in mosques, public gardens or on the streets. UNHCR and its partner supported more than 11,000 IDPs with CRIs and continue to register and assess new families and report to the UNHCR office to meet needs from emergency stock. Psycho-social support is being provided on the spot by the outreach volunteers who are visiting the collective shelters. This situation continues to create very difficult conditions for UNHCR staff and their families inside in the city. On 22 August UNHCR staff temporarily relocated to the UN Hub in the Shabaa Halab Hotel as an interim precautionary measure due to the danger of collateral damage to the main UNHCR office.
Moreover, in Hassakeh city a significant displacement of 13,000 families/65,000 individuals took place to the city’s suburbs as well as Amuda, Derbasiah and Qamishly city due to heavy clashes which erupted on 17 August resulting in many casualties and injuries. An agreement between the two parties was reached at Qamishly airport on 23 August but the situation remains volatile.
As a response UNHCR and its partner Ihsan quickly assessed the available shelters in Qamishly city in terms of number of IDPs already hosted and the capacity for hosting new IDPs. As all available shelters were full, the team contacted the local authorities for permission to open new temporary shelters, which was granted. Since the beginning of the influx of families on 20 August, the Ihsan team identified all arriving families physically. The team also identified the families who are in urgent need of shelter in the Ihsan centre and provided transportation to the shelters. Also, the team received families at the Siyhay Bus Garage and assisted them with shelter referrals and transportation in case of need. In addition UNHCR and partners released blankets, sleeping mats, mattresses, plastic sheets, jerry cans and kitchen sets for thousands of IDPs spread throughout Qamishly, Derbasia, Amuda and Ras Al Ein. Access to Hassakeh City remains restricted due to the prevailing security situation, however since the ceasefire, most of the 65,000 freshly displaced people have returned. The total remaining IDPs in affected areas of the Hassakeh Governorate is nearly 55,500 including 49,000 displaced earlier since February 2016. UNHCR and its partners are continuing to respond.