ReliefWeb

This update provides a summary of recent displacement, along with developments from the UNHCR co-led Sector/Clusters of Protection, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) and Shelter/Non Food Items (SNFI).

KEY DISPLACEMENT STATISTICS (AS OF 26 DECEMBER 2017)

• 1,225,613 displacements recorded by the CCCM Cluster in the last 12 months from affected areas of northern and southern Syria:

• 1,194,829 displacements from affected areas of northern Syria, including Ar-Raqqa (320,019), Aleppo (265,291), Deir-Ez-Zor (241,329), Hama (216,422), Idleb (99,879), Homs (36,581), AlHassakeh (13,727), Lattakia (1,581) governorates, northern Syria. This includes around 15,200 new displacements recorded so far in December 2017 from Hama Governorate.

• 30,784 displacements from affected areas of Damascus, Rural Damascus, Sweida and Dar’a, southwestern Syria.

CONTEXTUAL DEVELOPMENTS

• The United Nations and partners are deeply concerned about the protection of tens of thousands of civilians in north-east Hama and southern Idleb governorates following increased hostilities which have reportedly resulted in civilian deaths, injuries and displacement. The UN and partners are coordinating the humanitarian response in the area through cross-border operations from Turkey. Priority needs include shelter, food, medical supplies, water and sanitation.

• The UN expressed concern over a recent string of attacks on healthcare facilities in Syria. On 31 December, a local hospital in Idleb Governorate was reportedly damaged by an airstrike, while on 30 December a medical warehouse belonging to an international NGO was reportedly damaged.

• On 29 December, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) concluded the evacuation of 29 civilians in urgent need of medical assistance from the besieged area of eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. Fighting and airstrikes in eastern Ghouta meanwhile continue, with recent reports of civilian casualties.