Syria Crisis: Camps and Informal Settlements in Northern Syria- Humanitarian Baseline Review June 2014

SUMMARY

There are over 6.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Syria,1 at least 793,000 of whom have been displaced since the beginning of 2014.2 The Syria Integrated Needs Assessment (SINA), conducted in November 2013 by the inter-agency Assessment Working Group, identified some 108,000 IDPs living in organized camps and about 124,000 living in open spaces or spontaneous camp-like settings in northern areas of Syria.3

In Turkey, cross-border humanitarian operations to provide assistance to Syrian populations began in 2012 and targeted mostly areas close to border crossings, which were perceived as relatively safe from aerial attacks. This created a ‘pull factor’ whereby large numbers of IDPs gathered and continue to move towards camps established near the border between Syria and Turkey. Population displacement towards camps has surged due to the intensification of the conflict in Hama in September 2013 and Aleppo City. Within these IDP camps, the delivery of assistance and services is formally managed. To facilitate coordination, camps have been geographically organized into larger groupings, and are usually referred to ‘IDP camp groups’.

Aside from formal camps, displaced Syrian households have also settled on open spaces or ‘camp-like’ settings commonly referred to as ‘informal settlements’. These settlements are usually located further away from the border with Turkey where access is more constrained for aid actors. Population displacement towards informal settlements has significantly increased due to the intensified conflict in As Safira in September 2013 and escalated barrel bombing in Aleppo City, which escalated in January 2014. To date, it has proven particularly challenging to gather information and to deliver assistance to population staying in these informal settlements.

An analysis of available secondary data found that the population of IDP camps has rapidly grown over the last 6 months. This rapid growth reflects the intensification of conflict in northern Syria. Further, the rapid and unplanned growth of IDP camp groupings is resulting in critical challenges in regards to camp management. This review also found that almost no information was available on the humanitarian needs, displacement patterns and living conditions of IDPs staying in informal settlements.

To address this information gap, REACH conducted rapid assessments of 62 informal settlements in Aleppo, Idleb and Al-Hasakeh, and 77 camps in Aleppo, Idleb and Lattakia governorates. Information was gathered remotely through enumerator networks conducting key informant (KI) surveys within settlements and camps. These assessments are funded by the Office of US Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department of the European Commission (ECHO).

This report includes and expands on the baseline covered by the Informal Settlements in North Syria report, and incorporates and contrasts information gathered through rapid assessments amongst IDP camps in north Syria.

Key findings from the assessment are outlined below and presented in further details in this report:

• In October 2013, 49 camps were identified as organized around seven IDP camp groups in Idleb, Lattakia and Aleppo governorates, and comprising a total of 68,994 IDPs. As of April 2014, 77 camps were identified organized around 10 IDP camp groups, comprising a total of 128,593 IDPs. This amounts to almost twice more number identified in October 2013.

• Similarly, 41 informal settlements were identified in October 2013, accounting for 38,322 IDPs. By February 2014, 62 were identified, comprising a total of 71,124 IDPs. Informal settlements tend to be further away from the border with Turkey and more dispersed than camps, making them harder to reach by aid actors.

• While most camps are receiving some form of relief assistance, most informal settlements have not been integrated into ongoing joint humanitarian response planning due to a lack of reliable information and access issues. This means that Syrian displaced populations staying in informal settlements have received to date very little assistance primarily delivered by local actors.

• Within IDP camp groups, each camp has a dedicated leadership and coordination structure, which result in a geographic compartmentalization of the response, despite the fact that many camps are adjacent to each other and already share resources. This makes it difficult to determine the effective coverage of services and distribute aid effectively, as well as to secure additional space and prepare reserve supplies to expand camps for incoming IDPs.

• 85% of respondents cited conflict as the primary reason for their displacement. This indicates that there is no major ‘pull-factor’ for IDPs to leave their homes, however does not indicate whether there is a ‘pull-factor’ to camps away from host families and rented accommodation or not.

• Most IDPs staying in informal settlements come from low socio-economic backgrounds and cannot afford fees required to access IDP camps, to rent tents nor afford to travel long distances and across borders. They also have less opportunities for staying with families within host communities or employment options in Turkey.

• Security is a critical cause of concern for a majority of displaced Syrians staying in camps and who reported the presence of armed individuals within the camps, as well as the lack of camp fences, security measures and guards to prevent and respond to criminality.

• Food was identified as the foremost priority sector by IDPs in both camps and informal settlements.
  The prioritization of food is higher than in any public assessment in camps in Syria to date. Shelter and water are also identified as priority sectors in informal settlements, while education and water were prioritized in camps where service provision is higher in most sectors (except in education). Assessment findings show a huge disparity in health service provision between camps and informal settlements. In regards to education, 14,411 households reported to have no access to education, including 6,850 families in 42 informal settlements (68%) and 7,561 families in 33 camps (43%).

• 45% of assessed IDP families in informal settlements are living in makeshift shelters and 111 families sleep in the open air, placing them at risk of exposure-related illness. By contrast, less than 8% residing in camps lived in makeshift shelters or slept in the open air – the reported provision of shelter has increased greatly in recent months, however many of the assessed IDPs are by design only those residing in the camp, so this does not preclude the possibility of many IDPs residing outside of the camps without shelter.

• Where water was available, all assessed camps and informal settlements in Aleppo governorate met the minimum Sphere standard of 15 litres per person per day. However, 8 informal settlements in Aleppo governorate had no onsite water access at all. In Al-Hasakeh and Idleb governorates, all informal settlements did not have access to the Sphere minimum standard of water. Over 60% of informal settlements (38) and 17% (13) camps had no access to permanent or semi-permanent latrines.

Through this assessment, REACH aimed to address critical information gaps on camps and informal settlements in Al-Hasakeh, Aleppo, Idleb and Lattakia governorates, with the view to inform decision making, planning and targeting of humanitarian assistance for displaced Syrians, taking into account the specific situation of displaced populations staying in both camps and informal settlements.
This information is of particular importance in the context of a continuous increased of population displacement towards camps and informal settlements in northern Syria, particularly in Lattakia, Aleppo and Idleb governorates. Further, this report constitutes a baseline analysis of the humanitarian needs and informal settlements in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Idleb and Lattakia governorates in northern Syria, against which future REACH assessments of IDP camps and informal settlements will be compared against in order to chart the evolution of displacement trends and humanitarian needs.