North-west Syria: Escalation of Hostilities - Flash Update No. 2, 2 December 2024 [EN/AR]

Highlights

• Since hostilities escalated on 26 November, at least 44 civilians have been killed in Idleb and northern Aleppo, including 12 children and seven women, as of 1 December. This is according to data verified by local health authorities.
• Women and children make up nearly two-thirds of the injury toll, with 66 children and 36 women injured out of the total of 162 reported.
• From 1 to 2 December, attacks impacted four health facilities, four school facilities, two displacement camps and one water station, with additional numbers being verified.
• Over 48,500 people – more than half are children – have been newly displaced across Idleb and northern Aleppo. The situation remains highly fluid, with partners monitoring movements daily.
• As of 2 December, over 2,600 people, mainly women and children, have sought shelter in 12 reception centers. The UN and its partners are providing food, winter items, protection services and other assistance, but safety constraints remain a key challenge.

Situation Overview

Camps, schools and hospitals hit by hostilities

Shelling and airstrikes continue to be reported across the Idleb governorate and northern Aleppo since the escalation of hostilities began on 26 November. Conflict frontlines are constantly shifting due to the ongoing fighting.

From 1 to 2 December, over 50 airstrikes struck Idleb, including repeated attacks on Idleb city, making it the most violent two days in north-west Syria so far since the start of the escalation.

On 1 December alone, at least eight civilians, including one woman and three children aged three, five and six, were killed, according to local health authorities. At least 59 others were injured, including 29 children and 20 women. The UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis (DRHC), David Carden, stressed in a tweet that “attacks on civilians must stop”.

The attacks on 1 December also struck two displacement camps and resulted in damage to four school facilities. A water station in Al-Atareb was also affected, with its solar panels damaged. At least 40,000 people lost access to water through the water supply networks, according to the WASH Cluster.

Meanwhile, airstrikes continued to be reported in Idleb on 2 December, with confirmed healthcare under attack. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), several healthcare facilities, including a main hospital in Idleb city and a maternity hospital have been affected. The casualty toll is being verified.

Overall, since the start of the escalation on 26 November and as of 1 December, at least 44 civilians, including 12 children and seven women, have been killed in north-west Syria. At least 162 others have been injured, according to data verified by local health authorities. Women and children make up nearly two-thirds of the injury toll, with reports of at least 66 children and 36 women injured. Most have sustained multiple shrapnel wounds.

Meanwhile, the displacement situation remains highly fluid, with partners verifying new figures daily. Over 48,500 people have been displaced as of 30 November – a steep increase from the 14,000 people reported on 28 November by the IDP Task Force, a group co-chaired by OCHA and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster to track population movements.