Syrian Arab Republic: Cross-Border Humanitarian Reach and Activities from Turkey (September 2021)

CONTEXT

Communities across north-west Syria continued to be affected by daily artillery shelling in September, especially south of the M4 highway and around the M5 highway. An uptick in airstrikes, concentrating around southern Idleb, has been observed. Some incidents resulted in civilian casualties. Explosive hazards added to the civilian injuries.

Around 24,000 displacements were tracked in September, with some 4,000 people leaving Ehsem sub-district. Afrin sub- district received the most displaced people, receiving over 7,000 people.

The spike in new COVID-19 cases that started in August continued with 34,184 confirmed cases recorded in September, placing an additional strain on the health services. All districts across north-west Syria were assessed to be high risk or very high-risk areas. Displacement sites were particularly at risk, with issues around overcrowding and social gatherings. The vaccination efforts continued in September, but the vaccination rate remains very low, mostly due to a hesitancy to get vaccinated among the population: only about 3 per cent of the population has been vaccinated.

The value of the Syrian Pound (SYP) against the US dollar (USD) in September remained stable. Nevertheless, the SYP remained weak and was a cause of high prices of goods and services. The economic crisis continues to drive humanitarian needs.