Action For Humanity, the parent NGO of Syria Relief, is warning that the world's attention has slipped from Syria, as Saturday marks 100 days since the devastating Earthquake which ripped through wartorn Northwest Syria and Southern Turkiye. They are warning that the humanitarian situation is worse than ever in the country. They are calling for governments and donors to provide more support to humanitarian aid efforts and to local Syrian charities and civil society groups who have been left "filling the gaps, as the humanitarian needs grow."
Action For Humanity's Chief Executive Office, Othman Moqbel, says:
"Sadly it has taken less than 100 days for the world to forget about the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria, that was worsened by the earthquake and caused by 12 years of conflict. There are 15.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance - the highest number since the conflict began in March 2011 and Syria has the largest number of internally displaced globally, 6.8 million.
"The situation in Syria is a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. The economy is in freefall and people's ability to access livelihoods and to survive is shrinking. Basic services, like healthcare, education and access to water in Syria have either come to a complete stop or are struggling to function. The emergency aid that charities like Action For Humanity provide, cannot replace these services. We can only paper over the cracks.
"The world needs to reaffirm its commitment to helping Syrians recover from the humanitarian crises they are engulfed in, that they found in the wake of the chaos of February 6th. Forgetting Syrians will only cause the numbers of those in need to rise even further and cost more lives. With the most people displaced from their homes globally, the need for shelter is great too. We are calling on more support to help us build homes for the 6.8 million who have been forced to flee theirs due to the violence and earthquakes. As well as supporting the aid efforts of charities like Action For Humanity, governments and donors need to help fund and build capacity of Syrian civil society, who have been left filling the gaps, as the humanitarian needs grow and aid and interest dwindles."
A report released in March by the organisation,No Place But Displacement: A report into multiple displacement of IDPs in Northwest Syria due to 12 years of conflict and February 6th's earthquakes, found that:
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9 out of 10 (89%) people in IDP camps in Northwest Syria had already been displaced by the conflict at least once, when they were displaced by the earthquakes last month - 98% of people in IDP camps were displaced by the earthquakes in total, 9% of families were newly displaced by the earthquakes.
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91% of people in IDPs in Northwest Syria were displaced by the conflict at least once over the past 12 years.
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Multiple displacement is very common for the majority of IDPs in camps. Whilst 12% have been displaced once or twice, 65% of IDP households have been displaced between three and seven times. Nearly a quarter (23%) have been displaced eight or more times.
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As the above numbers suggests, the earthquakes meant all of people who had already been displaced, most of whom multiple times, by the conflict had been displaced at least once more.
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Displacement has forced overcrowding. Over two-thirds of households in IDP camps (64%) have between 4 and 7 people in and almost a quarter of households (23%) have between 8 and 13 people in them.
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More funding is needed as part of the response in Northwest Syria to build permanent and semi-permanent homes for the million people left at greater security and health risks by not being in proper shelter.
Notes to editor
Action For Humanity provides aid and assistance to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. We are the parent charity of Syria Relief, the UK's largest Syria-focused humanitarian aid organisation. As an NGO we are guided by our drive to help others, not profit. When emergencies strike, we act to ensure we save lives and protect the vulnerable. When the emergency is over, we stay and help restore lives. In 2021, Action For Humanity supported a remarkable 3.5 million people across the Middle East and South Asia.
Representatives from Action For Humanity are available for interview. For more information please contact Action For Humanity's external relations team on press@actionforhumanity.org or call +447535415060