ReliefWeb

Highlights

• Some 90,500 people from east Aleppo have been registered across Aleppo city, in both eastern and western neighborhoods. The over-whelming majority of them reside in houses, while 4,250 remain in the Jibreen collective shelter.

• Following the closure of Mahalej transit site on 25 December, some 750 IDPs were unable to find accommodation in private houses and are now staying in the Jibreen collective shelter.

• As of 29 December, NPM reports that 30,487 IDPs from east Aleppo city arrived at 154 locations in Idleb and western Aleppo countryside. The vast majority of IDPs from east Aleppo city remain in the western Aleppo countryside and Idleb, and only some families traveled via Afrin to Azaz.

• The UN and its humanitarian partners have been able to access all but one area of East Aleppo city for the assessment of the humanitarian situation and to provide humanitarian assistance. No approval was received to access Sheikh Said.

Situational Overview

Following the completion on 22 December of the evacuation of over 36,000 people from east Aleppo to non-state armed group-controlled areas in Idleb and rural western Aleppo, an estimated 90,500 people from east Aleppo remain within Aleppo city. Of these,some 47,500 individuals have been registered as residing in east Aleppo, 38,750 people are sheltered in west Aleppo, and 4,250 IDPs remain at the Jibreen collective shelter.

As east Aleppo neighborhoods become increasingly accessible, and should the circumstances permit, more IDP families are expected to return to their homes. To facilitate a safe return, further removals of UXOs and debris are required, as well as the continued assessments of infrastructural stability of buildings in affected neighborhoods.

In parallel, the UN and its humanitarian partners are continuing their mine education efforts to further protect civilians from the danger of unexploded remnants of war.
In Aleppo city, the UN and humanitarian partners have accessed all but one area of east Aleppo to assess the situation of the affected civilians and to provide a response to their needs. Needs assessment findings indicate that health facilities experienced a 50 per cent increase in service demand and are stretched beyond limits.

Approximately 600,000 people are still deprived of regular access to water supply, as the Bab Al-Nairab pumping station is currently not functional and Suleiman AlHalabi is only partially functional. Additionally, due to the cold winter temperatures, people require the provision of more warm clothing for both adults and children, in addition to heaters and fuel for heating purposes.

The Mahelej site, which served as the initial reception facility for people moving from east Aleppo to west Aleppo starting from 27 November,remains closed as of 25 December. All residents have since moved on, with most former residents returning to their own houses in east Aleppo, or to alternative accommodation with relatives and acquaintances in west Aleppo. Some 750 IDPs were unable to make alternative arrangements, many of them female-headed households, sick and elderly, or other vulnerable groups, and they remain in the collective shelter in the Jibreen industrial zone.

Only a few hundred people reportedly have travelled via Afrin to Azaz and the northern Aleppo countryside. These people have family links with the region. A few NGOs have moved their staff from Aleppo City to Azaz using this route in anticipation of increasing humanitarian programmes in northern Aleppo. While IDPs are still moving in search of more permanent arrangements, the vast majority have settled in various towns in the western Aleppo countryside.

As of 29 December, NPM reports that 30,487 IDPs from east Aleppo city arrived at 154 locations in Idleb and western Aleppo countryside. This figure remains lower than the ICRC (35,000) and CCCM (36,086) count. There are IDPs moving from Sheikh Maqsood via Afrin to the western Aleppo countryside (or further to Idleb) and also IDPs from east Aleppo city moving to Azaz via Afrin. While exact figures are not readily available, it is estimated to be in the thousands of people moving in either direction over the last weeks. The United Nations are in direct contact with the Afrin authorities in order to facilitate movement of IDPs and NGO staff.