Syrian Arab Republic

The US government has reinforced counter-terrorism controls on aid operations in Syria. New contractual terms require US-funded organisations to get special permission to provide relief in areas controlled by extremist groups. The move further complicates aid operations for those trapped in Syria’s last rebel stronghold, Idlib, where two thirds of its three million people need assistance.

Read more on IRIN.

The Irish NGO GOAL has suspended food voucher distributions in Syria’s troubled Idlib region since February as donor concerns widen about delivering aid in areas controlled by extremist groups. A GOAL spokesperson confirmed it had “paused” the initiative but did not offer details of the move, which has not been previously reported.

Read more on IRIN.

Highlights

Overview

So far in 2018, a total of 19,459 refugees and migrants arrived in Greece by sea. The majority are from Syria (32%), Iraq (20%) and Afghanistan (19%). More than half of the population are women (24%) and children (37%), while 39% are men.

Arrivals in August 2018, at 3,197 increased in comparison to July, when 2,545 people arrived on the islands. Arrivals during the first eight months of 2018 are 29% higher than those of the same period in 2017.

Geneva, 21 September 2018 – The Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the 17 September ceasefire agreement reached between the Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation. This agreement appears to have spared civilians temporarily from a full-scale onslaught and we strongly call for immediate and unhindered humanitarian access and provision of relief to the civilian population of Idlib.

JE: Thank you. The main issue at the Humanitarian Task Force today was naturally the very important agreement reached between the President of Russia and the President of Turkey. We were informed of the details of the agreement.

A deal reached between Russia and Turkey to create a demilitarized buffer zone protecting citizens “from catastrophe” in Syria’s Idlib region is a welcome development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, before urging all parties to make a “strong commitment” to it.

UN Security Council Resolutions 2165/2191/2258/2332/2393

SARC dispatched a humanitarian aid convoy (17 trucks) to Eastern Rural of Daraa city on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

9 trucks loaded with 2000 food parcels and 2000 flour bags headed to Saida, while the other 8 trucks headed to Al-Naymeh carrying 1500 food parcels and 1500 flour bags.

These relief items are provided by WFP.

• Summary of newly-reported viruses this week: Afghanistan – one new case of wild poliovirus (WPV1). Democratic Republic of Congo – two new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). See country sections below for more details.

• Featured on www.polioeradication.org: Coffee with Polio Experts – Darcy Levison of WHO talks about the logistical challenges of reaching every child in the Lake Chad subregion.

The effect on thousands of children will be "devastating" say agencies working in the region, ahead of a major UN meeting on refugees.

Ahead of a crucial United Nations meeting on refugees next week, it has emerged that education programmes in Jordan have been slashed - affecting 45,000 vulnerable Syrian refugee children.

As the result of a funding gap of $8.6 million, only 10,000 Syrian refugee children out of 55,000 eligible children will continue to get financial support from UNICEF.

Conflicts and climatic shocks aggravate current food insecurity in many countries

Some 39 countries in need of food assistance - FAO expects slightly lower global cereal production

20 September 2018, Rome - Persistent conflicts and climate-related shocks are currently driving high levels of severe food insecurity, particularly in Southern African and Near East countries, which continue to require humanitarian assistance, according to a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 1.8 million people assessed for cash assistance in 2018 so far.

• 641,3421 individuals reached across the region in the first half of 2018, with USD 95 million distributed.

• 48 per cent of Syrian refugee families in Egypt need to borrow money or purchase on credit to meet their basic needs, including healthcare.

• USD 44 million urgently required to continue cash assistance to 456,000 Syrian refugees through . � the end of 2018.

At the second "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" conference hosted by the EU in Brussels on 24-25 April 2018, the international community and the governments of refugee hosting countries came together to reaffirm their commitment to support the millions of civilians affected by the conflict in Syria as well as the refugees and communities generously hosting them.

BY PHILLIP CONNOR

Iraqi Kurdistan and adjacent Kurdish regions were the site of increased activity last week as both Iran and Turkey continued to attack alleged enclaves of Kurdish rebels in the governorates of Erbil and Dahuk. In both Iraq and Iran, demonstrations were held by Kurds against these and other actions. Meanwhile, unrelated demonstrations continued throughout the Middle East, most noticeably in northwest Syria, where locals fear an upcoming regime offensive. In Yemen, fighting continues in several areas following the collapse of the Geneva talks earlier in the month.