Syria Crisis Bi-Weekly Situation Report No. 11 (as of 19 August 2016) [EN/AR]

Highlights

• Up to 2 million residents in Aleppo City without electricity or access to public water

• 250,000 to 275,000 civilians remain trapped in eastern Aleppo

• Humanitarian access urgently needed to deliver food and medical supplies and to repair electricity and water networks

• The UN continues to call for a fullyfledged ceasefire or, at a minimum, a weekly 48-hour humanitarian pauses to reach those in need

• Civilians return to Menbij following town’s take over by SDF

Situation Overview

Up to 2 million people across Aleppo City are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter, health services, and water. Of these, 1.2 million to 1.5 million are in the west of the city, while between 250,000 to 275,000 remain trapped in the east of the city, following the July closure of the Castello Road, the last remaining access route in and out of the area.

Despite an announcement of a daily three-hour ceasefire by the Russian Federation on 10 August, fighting persists in the east of the city, including airstrikes on at least four neighbourhoods, while mortars continue to be dropped on the west. The UN has repeatedly called for a fully-fledged ceasefire or a minimum of weekly 48-hour humanitarian pauses to reach those in need. On 9 August, the UN call received full support from the European Commission.

Unimpeded, safe and immediate access to all areas of Syria’s largest city remains essential in providing life-saving assistance to civilians.

Following the closure of Castello Road on 7 July, humanitarian access to Aleppo remains limited despite a newly established alternative route, through which aid and fuel was delivered in recent days. If this alternative route into eastern Aleppo City via Ramousseh Road remains open and secure, it could present an opportunity to access the population. However, Ramousseh Road reportedly remains insecure and is in the process of being upgraded by opposition groups to be used by convoys. As for access into western Aleppo City Civilians are now using an alternative route that skirts the eastern part of the city before entering western neighbourhoods through the Castello road . From Aleppo to the south-eastern town of Al-Naiyrab, passengers use mini buses and taxis. Sections of the road are unpaved and rehabilitation works by GOS are ongoing.

Between 9 and 14 August, UNICEF partners managed to deliver 102,000 litres of fuel to the Sulaiman Al Halabi pumping station in the contested area of Aleppo City to support the water need of Aleppo residents. If the alternative route into western Aleppo City remains open and secure, UNICEF partners could provide fuel on a daily basis to operate the pumping station for the next fifteen days and additionally reach 325,000 people with trucked water. In the meantime, up to two million people are without electricity or access to public water