ReliefWeb

Overall Findings

Ar-Raqqa governorate is located in northeast Syria. The Euphrates River flows through the governorate and into Al-Thawrah Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam providing electricity in Syria, although years of conflict have impacted the Dam and limited its ability to generate electricity. Only approximately a quarter of the communities assessed in Ar-Raqqa reported access to the network, with the majority relying on generators as their main source of electricity however, Marj Al-Zuhor community reported having no electricity source.

The majority of assessed communities reported that between 76-100% of pre-conflict populations remained in their communities. Only one, Debsi Afnan, reported that members of the original population left in February due to protection concerns. Of the 15 assessed communities, 12 reported a presence of IDPs, approximately 80,000 IDPs in total, the majority (70,000) of whom were residing in Al-Thawrah community.

No returnees have been reported in assessed communities in the governorate since December 2017, when 1,900 individuals returned to Al-Thawrah2 . However, at the height of conflict in the area in mid-2017, there were only approximately 15,000 individuals residing in Al-Thawrah community, meaning that there has been significant population movement into Al-Thawrah since conflict subsided. Additionally, Al-Thawrah is the only assessed district that reported a lack of fuel. KIs reported that residents most commonly coped with the lack of fuel by burning furniture, agricultural or other productive assets.

All of the assessed communities in Al-Thawrah district reported that pregnancy-related conditions and severe diseases affecting children under five were the most common health concerns in their communities in February. Of the assessed communities, 12 stated that the majority of women deliver babies at home with a midwife. Additionally, four of the assessed communities in Ar-Raqqa and two in Al-Tharwah district stated that there were no health facilities available in the area. Where KIs reported that health facilities were functioning, the majority of these facilities were primary private healthcare facilities. All of the assessed communities stated that they had sufficient amounts of water to meet household needs. Four of the assessed communities, all located in Ar-Raqqa subdistrict, reported that water tasted and/or smelled bad.

Of the assessed communities, four reported that prices on markets were regulated and nine of the assessed communities stated that they faced no challenges in accessing sufficient amounts of food. All of the assessed communities located in Al-Thawrah district reported that households lacked resources to purchase available foods. Ten of the assessed communities stated that their most common income sources came from stable employment and remittances from outside Syria, thereby indicating a need for more sustainable livelihood opportunities in the governorate. The remaining five communities, all of which are located within Al-Thawrah district, stated that household incomes were insufficient to cover household needs in February. The majority of assessed communities reported that only primary schools were functioning in their communities, while most of the assessed communities in Al-Thawrah district reported also having functioning secondary and high schools.