Syrian Arab Republic: Cross-Border Humanitarian Reach and Activities from Turkey (February 2021)

CONTEXT

In February, daily shelling in northwest Syria continued to impact communities and cause civilian casualties, mostly concentrated on areas around frontlines. Further casualties were also reported from incidents caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive remnants of war (ERW), including the death of one humanitarian worker and the injury of another as a result of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

The value of the Syrian Pound (SYP) deteriorated significantly in February, reaching historical lows that were some 20 percent weaker than the month prior. The devaluation of the SYP continues to increase the prices of goods and services, while many commodities such as fuel, bread, transport, electricity and telecommunications services are commonly priced in Turkish Lira (TRY), making it difficult for people without access to TRY to buy these commodities. The dire economic situation continued to impact households as they struggled to meet their basic needs. The number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases continued to decline in February, with the number of associated deaths increasing by some 2 per cent. The Bab-Al Hawa border crossing continued to be closed to individual crossings every weekend in February as a result of the COVID-19 related weekend lockdowns implemented across Turkey; humanitarian and commercial crossings continued unimpeded.

As of February, more than 2.7 million people were displaced in northwest Syria, of whom some 1.6 million live in IDP camps. HNAP reports that some 15,339 displacements were recorded in February, primarily from the Dana, Salqin, Maaret Tamsrin, Ariha and Idleb subdistricts, while the Bulbul, Maaret Tamsrin, and Dana sub-districts received most new arrivals. Some 1,545 displaced people reportedly returned to their place of origin in northwest Syria in February, primarily to Ehsem in Idleb governorate, followed by Ziyara and Jisr-Ash-Shugur.