ReliefWeb

With the crisis in its ninth year, the scale, severity, and complexity of needs across Syria remain deep and far-reaching. Over half of the country’s population have fled their homes: 5.5 million people have sought refuge in the region and beyond and 6.1 million people are internally displaced. According to the 2019, HNO 11.7 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance; an estimated 5 million people face acute humanitarian needs.

NFI and Shelter assistance continues to be essential and life-saving, particularly for those newly displaced or forced to relocate. The Shelter/NFI sector estimates that just over 3 million people/ 600,000 families are in need of assistance this winter. As planned, assistance scaled up for the month of November and will continue through March 2020. Throughout northwest and northeast Syria, the price and availability of fuel as well as the devaluation of the Syrian Pound has constituted a significant challenge for partners. The increasing operational costs have forced some partners to reduce their targets significantly with some even ceasing their response temporarily.

Winter distributions are ongoing across the country and by the end of January 2020 over 1.75M people had been reached. Sector partners are providing basic NFIs including high-thermal blankets, mattresses and winter clothing kits for both children and adults. While shelter assistance is focusing on replacing damaged or worn out tents in camps or providing basic weatherization items like plastic sheeting.