Syrian Arab Republic: Humanitarian Situation Report No. 1 (As of 12 February 2025) [EN/AR]

This is the first OCHA Situation Report in 2025, replacing the Flash Updates. It was produced in collaboration with humanitarian partners, covering the period from 29 January to 12 February. The next report will be issued on or around 26 February.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hostilities persist in parts of north-east Syria, affecting eastern Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa and Al-Hasakeh. In one car bomb incident on 3 February, 19 women and a male driver were killed in Menbij, eastern Aleppo.

• Civilian casualties due to explosive ordnance incidents are reported almost daily. Since December, 141 people, including 24 children and 13 women, have been killed in 198 explosive ordnance incidents. At least 265 others were injured.

• Over 828,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their areas of origin between 27 November and 9 February. Over 617,000 people remain newly displaced across the country.

• Since December, over 800,000 people in north-west Syria were reached with health assistance and 264,000 children with provided with heaters, winter clothes and other aid under the winter response.

• The humanitarian response for Syria is significantly underfunded, having secured less than 10 per cent of the $1.2 billion needed through March.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Persisting violence in north-east and the South

Over the past two weeks, hostilities, clashes, and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks have impacted parts of north-east Syria, notably eastern Aleppo, Al-Raqqa, and Al-Hasakeh The first week of February saw two car bombs detonated in Menbij, eastern Aleppo, resulting in civilian casualties, notably among women and children. On 3 February, 19 women and one male driver were killed when a car bomb exploded near a vehicle transporting female agricultural workers, according to caretaker authorities. At least 13 other women and five children were injured. This incident occurred two days after another car bomb explosion on 1 February, which killed at least four civilians and injured nine others, including six children Fighting continues to impact areas near the Tishreen Dam, which has been non-functional since it was damaged in conflict on 10 December. Consequently, 410,000 people in Menbij and Ain Al-Arab, eastern Aleppo, have been deprived of pumped water and electricity for over eight weeks. Amid this insecurity, reports of arbitrary arrests in north-east Syria have heightened tensions between various community groups.

In the South, Israeli incursions continued in Quneitra, including the arrest of two young men, while airstrikes were reported in Rural Damascus, Dar'a, and As-Sweida. On 2 February, authorities confirmed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had withdrawn from governorate and court buildings in Peace City, Quneitra Governorate, leaving behind huge destruction of the infrastructure and civilian documents. Violent incidents in Dar'a also resulted in civilian casualties, with local resources reporting six deaths and 15 injuries on 2 February due to separate gunfire and other violent incidents.

In Coastal Area, the security situation is volatile, marked by repeated attacks at checkpoints and criminal activities, including looting, robberies and kidnapping, particularly in rural areas. Meanwhile, there is relative stability in Homs, Hama and north-west Syria, except for some unrest in rural Homs.

Farmers and shepherds at risk of UXOs

Syria has seen a sharp increase in incidents involving unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and explosive remnants of war (ERW), with nearly daily reports of civilian casualties. Since December, 141 people, including 24 children and 13 women, have been killed by 198 explosive ordnance incidents. At least 265 others were injured, including 114 children and 16 women. Of the 136 incidents in January and February, 90 occurred while farmers were tending to their land or grazing animals, resulting in the death of 61 farmers and shepherds and 93 others injured.

February typically marks the beginning of truffle season. However, the hunt has already turned deadly due to high levels of UXO contamination. On 1 February, a woman and a child lost their lives, and two other children were injured when a UXO detonated while they were foraging for truffles in Deir ez-Zor, according to protectionpartners. Just three days later, another UXO exploded near a car in the same area, injuring four individuals as they searched for truffles.

To support the safe movement of people and aid workers, partners from the cross-border response have disposed of over 1,400 unexploded ordnance items in 977 clearance operations since December. In the same period, a total of 138 minefields and points of presence of mines were identified in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor, and Lattakia. Two non-technical survey teams were deployed to Duma and Darraya in Rural Damascus, which identified 14 explosive ordnance items covering an area of 23,966,460 square meters. As of January, partners have also scaled up the delivery of explosive ordnance risk education sessions in high-risk areas in Ar-Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh, targeting adults and children.