Syria (Turkey cross-border)

Overview

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, more than 226,000 civilians – including 29,000 children – have died as a result of the conflict.?6.5 million people are internally displaced in Syria, and 5.6 million are registered refugees in neighbouring countries. Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees, followed by Lebanon and Jordan. An estimated 11.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian needs in Syria are severe across all sectors, with significant health, education, WASH, shelter, protection, and food needs. Years of conflict have left healthcare centres, hospitals, schools, and water and sanitation systems damaged or destroyed.?

Syria faces an economic crisis, and the value of the Syrian pound has dropped to record lows. The economic downturn – which began when the conflict erupted – has accelerated since late 2019, leading to soaring prices of food, fuel, and other critical items. The cost of basic staples has increased by over 100% since late 2019.?Food prices are 20 times higher than their pre-conflict levels. Households are forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms, including child labour, early marriage, and cutting or reducing meals. As of 2020, an estimated 9.3 million people in Syria – more than half the current population, and the highest level ever recorded in the country – are food insecure, up from an estimated 7.9 million in 2019.?

Military operations in Northwest Syria in and around Idlib displaced nearly a million people between December 2019–February 2020. There are an estimated 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Northwest Syria. Over four million people reside in Northeast Syria, including thousands of internally displaced people and imprisoned members of Islamic State who are living in severely overcrowded conditions.?

Latest Developments

30/12/2020: The average food basket price in Syria increased by 13% in November 2020 compared to October, reaching the highest level recorded since 2013. In November, 41% of newly internally displaced people and their host communities assessed in northwest Syria were food insecure ?

For more information on the humanitarian impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, please see the relevant paragraph below.