OCHA Flash Update Syria Crisis – Hama No. 1 | 28 March 2017

1. Highlights

• Increased clashes in northern and western Hama governorate have displaced up to 40,000 people to locations in Hama, Homs, Tartous and Lattakia governorates. Some internally displaced people (IDPs) are at risk of further displacement as the frontlines continue to shift.

• Of the total newly displaced people, an estimated 30,000 people moved to Hama city and Masyaf in Hama and Wadi Nasra in Homs. An estimated 9,000 people moved to Mashta Elhiu, rural areas of Banyas, and Tartous city in Tartous. Also, around 425 people (85 families) have been displaced to Lattakia. Shelter and food are the main needs.

• As of 27 March, food and non-food items have been distributed for the IDPs in Hama and Homs, including food rations for more than 38,000 people.

• In Tartous and Lattakia, food and non-food items for 8,900 newly displaced people have been distributed.

• The closure of key roads in Hama has restricted commercial and civilian movement.

• Registration of IDPs by SARC in coordination with GOPA is underway.

2. Humanitarian Situation

Since 21 March, increased clashes between Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) and Syrian Armed Forces in northern and western Hama have put civilians at risk of injury, death and displacement. The continued fighting led to the closure of the Hama-Muhradah road and Hama-As-Salamiyeh road, restricting commercial and civilian movement. The roads between As-Salamiyeh and Aleppo and As-Salamiyeh and Homs were also temporarily closed, but re-opened on 23 March. According to media sources, fighting has been reported a few kilometers north of Hama city, near Hama’s military airport. The estimated 40,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced mainly from villages in Suran, Muhradah and As-Suqaylabiyah sub-districts to other locations in Hama, Homs, Tartous and Lattakia governorates.

3. Humanitarian Needs and Response

The SARC branch in Hama in collaboration with GOPA started registering newly displaced IDPs and as of 26 March; an estimated 29,905 people (5,981 families) have been registered in Hama city, Tiezine, Rabiah, Kafraa, Masyaf, Beida and Hama city in Hama and in Wadi Nasra in Homs. Four shelters and a school are being used to host newly displaced people in Hama City; the schools in Kafraa has also been used to shelter the newly arrived IDPs; and one school and a mosque have been set up in Tiezine. However, new shelters need to be prepared to receive the growing influx of IDPs. As the frontlines continue to shift, IDPs are at risk of further displacement.

On 26 March, an inter-agency mission from Homs to Hama met with the local authorities to coordinate the response, as the meeting had to be postponed from the originally planned date on 24 March due to the security situation.

As of 27 March, UN agencies have dispatched food for 19,000 people in Hama city and 17,000 people in Masyaf and in addition to non-food items for 14,000 people, including some mattresses, for all of Hama governorate. In Wadi Nasra, Homs more than 1,750 people received food and non-food items on 27 March and a needsassessment mission took place on 27 March by the UN Homs team.

Approximately 8,900 people (1,780 families) from Hama arrived to Mashta Elhiu, the rural areas of Banyas subdistrict, and Tartous city in Tartous, since 21 March. It was also reported that around 85 families from AsSuqaylabiyah were displaced to Lattakia.

Following the inter-agency mission from Tartous to Mashta Elhiu on 24 March and the mission to Rawda Al Kharab in Banyas, food and non-food items for 4,850 people (including mattresses, blankets and solar lamps among other items) were delivered in Mashta Elhiu and food, hygiene kits and non-food items were delivered for 3,750 people in Banyas and Tartous city. Also, 300 IDPs received food and NFI assistance in Lattakia city.

Both missions conducted needs assessment and identified the priority needs as shelter, non-food items (blankets and mattresses) and food. No medical case in need of urgent attention was registered, and Al Husn Hospital in Al Wadi, Tartous is offering free medical care to all IDPs.

Two kitchens were set up by the local community in IDP sites in Mashta Elhiu, providing one hot meal a day.

During the mission, the team prepared an initial response plan to deliver assistance to recent and incoming IDPs by UN agencies with NGO partners to Banyas, Al Wadi, Tartous and Lattakia in close collaboration with SARC and ICRC.

For further information, please contact:

Sebastien Trives, Head of OCHA Syria, trives@un.org