Attachments
Glide №: EQ-2023-000015-SYR
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the crisis
The devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on February 6, 2023, had severe consequences for an already vulnerable population. Before the seismic events, more than four million people in northwest Syria, and 15 million people across Syria, were already in need of humanitarian aid, reflecting the severe protracted crisis affecting the population. The earthquake, measuring magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5, caused severe damage in Aleppo, Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Idlib governorates. Major infrastructure damage was observed in cities and rural areas across these regions. According to reports from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), the earthquake resulted in the tragic loss of 5,670 lives, with 11,774 individuals sustaining injuries. SARC estimated that over 8 million people have been directly affected by the event.
The SARC teams have been at the forefront from the first moments of the earthquakes with 4,000 staff and volunteers involved in the largescale response. By 31st January 2024, SARC had provided 24.2 million services to people affected by the earthquake. This includes distributing more than 8.5 million food and non-food relief items such as standard food parcels, canned food parcels, blankets, mattresses, hygiene kits, dignity kits, and menstrual hygiene management kits. More than 33,000 families received multi-purpose cash grants, and four million people received medical services and medicines free of charge in SARC’s mobile or static health facilities including emergency surgical operations, deliveries, and incubator care for newborns. Around 600,000 people benefitted from protection services including psychosocial support, legal services, and awareness raising. Large-scale water infrastructure repair works have been completed or are underway, including the repairs of the Aleppo City equilibrium line that provides water to millions of people and the rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities in collective centres, schools, and communities.
In the aftermath of the crisis, SARC conducted a rapid assessment of water and sanitation infrastructure in all impacted governorates to collect vital information. The presence of thousands of displaced individuals residing in shelters heightened the susceptibility to diseases attributed to overcrowding, unsafe water, and insufficient sanitation and hygiene. Following the earthquake, there was a notable 28% surge in morbidity related to common ailments like influenza and diarrhoea within weeks particularly in collective centres. Consequently, it was crucial to prioritize essential healthcare, access to clean water, and hygiene awareness to mitigate the potential for disease outbreaks and transmission, particularly in densely populated shelter environments.
Following the earthquakes, IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal of CHF 200 million to reach 2.5 million affected people. The Emergency Appeal is part of a Federation-Wide approach, based on the response priorities of SARC and in consultation with all Federation members contributing to it, integrating holistic planning within the operational strategy, taking into consideration the programmatic sectorial experiences of in-country Partner National Societies with SARC, and assigning lead coordination positioning.
The number of people in need of humanitarian response in Syria has increased from 15.3 million to 16.7 million since 2023. After more than 12 years of crisis, most major cities in Syria still lie in ruins, with very limited functioning infrastructure and no resources to rebuild. Basic factors to drive the economy, such as electricity, fuel, infrastructure, and access to raw materials have been gravely depleted. The Syrian economy is currently in a downward spiral with massive inflation, a weakened currency, and massive price increases on normal consumer goods. With the dramatic reduction in funding among major donors, there are very limited resources left for the very basic needs of the population, not to mention recovery and reconstruction. For SARC, the key humanitarian service provider in Syria, the reduction in funds has severe consequences. SARC is now forced to scale down its provision of critical lifesaving services such as healthcare and relief including food and water. With 70% of the population living below the poverty line, among which 30% are below the extreme poverty line, the Syrian people will have increasing difficulties in getting their next meal on the table and will continue to have no possibilities to organize themselves for a better future.
Currently, in Syria, there is still a need for relief, recovery, and longer-term development interventions to run in parallel. At the end of December 2023, the local currency traded at an average of SYP 14,343 to a dollar on the parallel market. During the year, it nearly lost 60 percent of its value. The cost of food more than doubled during 2023, and in December 2023 the standard food basket cost was five times more than the monthly minimum wage. The surge in costs was mainly driven by a weakened currency and cuts in fuel subsidies3.
Following the earthquake, Syria has been affected by several crises. In June and July 2023, regions such as Homs, Hama, Lattakia, and Tartous, which were already grappling with the aftermath of an earthquake, experienced widespread wildfires. These fires inflicted substantial material and environmental harm, consuming homes and crops and thereby jeopardizing the primary livelihoods of the affected population. Moreover, swaths of land of vegetation, forests, and natural reserves fell victim to the blazes. Responding to a request from SARC, the IFRC promptly allocated 500,000 CHF from the DREF in August 2023 to address the repercussions of the wildfires.
Over the past year, a water crisis has been intensifying in the As-Sweida governorate. Marked by a decline in rainfall and snowfall, crucial sources for dam water collection were compromised. Neglected maintenance of water systems and the unavailability of spare parts resulted in the non-operational status of a substantial number of wells, reaching approximately 80%. In response, the IFRC allocated an additional 800,000 CHF from the DREF in August to address the urgent maintenance and repair requirements.
By October 2023, tensions escalated in the Middle East with the eruption of the conflict in Gaza. While the initial weeks of the conflict were highly unpredictable, the spillover into Syria has largely been contained so far. However, targeted strikes continue in the South and Central parts of the country, with an increased number of strikes and aggression actions unfolding in various parts of Syria, including the Northeast, Northwest, and Syrian deserts. Recognizing the risk of the Gaza conflict spreading to neighboring countries, the IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal to support the readiness and response efforts of National Societies in neighboring regions, including the Egyptian Red Crescent, Lebanese Red Cross, Jordanian Red Crescent, and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, in anticipation of potential hostilities and ensuing humanitarian needs.
In this context, SARC's staff and volunteers continue to be a lifeline for the communities they serve, and their tireless work provides people with food and water, basic relief items, health care, and psychosocial support in communities and cities. Currently, in Syria, there is still a need for relief, recovery, and longer-term development interventions to run in parallel.