Spotlight
14 May 2024
Syria - Disasters compound challenges for IDPs and drive first increase in displacements in four years
Syria continues to grapple with one of the world’s largest and most protracted internal displacement situations, with 7.2 million IDPs as of the end of 2023, a 6 per cent increase from 2022. The number of displacements recorded during the year rose for the first time since 2019, especially in the north-western governorates of Aleppo and Idlib, which already hosted 52 per cent of the country’s IDPs.
Both governorates were the scene of conflict and disasters in 2023, which triggered new and repeated movements, prolonging IDPs’ needs. A series of high-magnitude earthquakes, with epicentres in neighbouring Türkiye, struck in February, illustrating how conflict and disasters combine to amplify displacement risk. These events left millions of Syrians living in heightened vulnerability.
The humanitarian situation in the north-west was dire even before the earthquakes. Mirroring trends in previous years, floods and winter storms destroyed tents in displacement sites in early February, triggering 9,300 onward displacements. The structure of many buildings, including health and education facilities, was already weakened after 12 years of conflict. They were severely damaged or destroyed when the earthquakes hit, further hindering basic service provision to those affected.
The earthquakes triggered about 678,000 internal displacements, making them Syria’s largest disaster displacement event since data on disaster displacement became available for the country in 2014. The vast majority of those displaced had already fled conflict in Aleppo, Idlib and Lattakia governorates and were living in highly vulnerable conditions in makeshift settlements. The earthquakes also contributed to a dam burst in Idlib’s Harim district, forcing around 9,500 people to evacuate.
Family separation during displacement and the loss of relatives has left some children as heads of their household, increasing their risk of child labour and early marriage. Winter conditions, including snowstorms and floods, persisted in the aftermath of the disaster, triggering at least 6,250 further onward displacements from overcrowded camps in March.
Humanitarian access constraints obstructed the delivery of aid, adding a layer of complexity to the situation. Only one border crossing from Türkiye was open in the first week of the response, until negotiations secured two more crossings on 13 February, allowing aid organisations to reach more people in need. Aleppo International Airport was, however, closed on 7 March as a result of airstrikes, forcing aid organisations to suspend their flights and bring in aid via Damascus or Latakia.
Fighting between government forces and non-state armed groups escalated in early October, with displacement camps sometimes being targeted. The violence triggered more than 79,000 movements in a matter of weeks, particularly in north-eastern Aleppo and southern Idlib governorates. Many people were able to return by early December, but insecurity persisted, and hampered some to return.
The combined impacts of disasters and conflict increased in 2023. The lack of development assistance has limited reconstruction and disaster risk reduction efforts, leaving the population exposed to future disasters. Beyond restricting IDPs’ capacity to cope with the recurring shocks they face, funding shortfalls also limit comprehensive data collection, making displacement figures conservative and impeding our understanding of the true scope and scale of the situation.
Conflict resolution and disaster risk reduction remain distant prospects for Syria, but improved data collection will be needed to inform more effective responses to crises and help ensure that assistance and support is targeted towards those who need it most. Increasing humanitarian access and, with it, the gathering of more harmonised, timely and disaggregated data is also essential to paint a fuller picture of internal displacement in Syria.
For references and additional information, please see the full report.
