ReliefWeb

There are four distinct groups of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Syria. One was displaced by the ongoing violent repression of the popular protests which started in March 2011, while the three other groups have faced protracted internal displacement. These older situations were caused by the destruction of the centre of the city of Hama in 1982, the displacement of Kurds from their homeland in the north-east of the country in the 1970s, and the occupation of the Golan Heights by Israel since 1967.

All internal displacement situations in Syria, except of those from the Golan, have been the result of the government’s policies and military actions against its own people. Therefore, it has been difficult to conduct assessments or get information on these displacement situations.