Attachments
SITUATION UPDATE
Following weeks of escalating tensions, intense clashes erupted in early January in the densely populated neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafia in Aleppo City, affecting more than 500,000 people. Despite the closure of all collective shelters in Aleppo City, over 58,000 civilians—primarily women, children, and older persons—remain displaced,1 seeking shelter with host families or in temporary collective centres across Aleppo City, Afrin, and the surrounding areas. According to the Ministry of Health, casualties included at least 24 deaths, including one child, and more than 111 injuries, among them 14 children. Critical civilian infrastructure was damaged both in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafia, including water networks and schools, with at least 21 schools requiring rehabilitation after the fighting. As of mid-January, following initial clearance of unexploded ordnance, humanitarian access to affected neighbourhoods has resumed, and returns have begun, with approximately 29,000 people reported to have returned home. Nevertheless, substantial humanitarian needs persist, particularly in safe water and sanitation, healthcare, child protection services, continuity of education, and cash assistance, especially amid harsh winter conditions. Meanwhile, renewed military operations in Deir-Afir, Maskana, and surrounding areas have triggered new displacements towards AS-Safira, Menbij, and Al-Bab in Aleppo Governorate, as well as into Ar-Raqqa and AlHassakeh Governorates, where at least 205 families have arrived to date. These movements are putting pressure on already vulnerable host communities, with further displacement anticipated in the coming days due to the extended humanitarian corridor established by the authorities to facilitate civilian movement away from active hostilities. Given the strategic importance of WASH infrastructure along the Euphrates, including Tishreen dam and Al-Babiri station, UNICEF continues to advocate with all parties to the conflict for the protection of WASH facilities critical to millions of people. UNICEF is also concerned about the impact on education, as authorities in Deir-Afir have announced the use of schools as temporary shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs), potentially compromising children’s ability to resume classes as planned on January 24.