Aid agencies struggle to reach Syrians in most need

An estimated two million people are displaced or trapped, and the continuing violence is preventing aid from reaching them.

Syrian refugees wash clothes at Al Zaatri refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria. Thousands have been forced to flee, while other civilians remain trapped by the fighting.Show less

BEIRUT // The continuing violence in Syria is displacing thousands of people and preventing aid from reaching key areas in need, according to international humanitarian organisations.

The United Nations has estimated that two million Syrians have been affected by the 17-month conflict between government forces and rebel groups, particularly in urban population centres such as the northern city of Aleppo.

Thousands have been forced to flee, while other civilians remain trapped by the fighting.

Security concerns have forced some agencies to temporarily suspend deliveries of emergency aid, including food.

"In those places where the fighting is taking place, the situation is really bad, with families fleeing," said Cecilia Goin, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"Civilians are struggling to stay safe," she added. "For the ICRC, the increasing challenges are due to the fighting, especially in the last three weeks in Aleppo. When there is fighting in an area, it is difficult to help. But we still continue to help."

Despite the growing security challenges, the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent have provided supplies, including food and other necessities, to more than 125,000 people in the past three weeks.

But with the conflict showing no signs of abating, humanitarian agencies said the needs of the civilians will only increase. The World Food Programme (WFP) is looking to increase its food assistance, aiming to reach 1.5 million people in the coming months, up from the current target of 850,000.

"Displacement is increasing and people are having to flee to rural areas from urban areas where the fighting is happening," said Abeer Etefa, WFP's Middle East and North Africa spokesperson.

"We have had difficulty getting access to some areas in need of assistance, especially in Aleppo. Continuous, heavy fighting does not allow humanitarian agencies safe distribution for those in need. The question of access is essential to address any humanitarian crisis in Syria."

As the fighting in areas has intensified, thousands of civilians have fled their homes for safer locations, moving to shelters such as schools and mosques.

While an estimated one million people have been displaced inside Syria, which has a population of approximately 22.5 million, almost 150,000 have registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.

Many more Syrian refugees have not registered with the authorities.

Rural populations are also under pressure, according to aid organisations.

Three million people will be in need of food, crop and livestock aid during the coming year, according to a recent report by the UN and the Syrian government. The report also said that 1.5 million people will need urgent food assistance over the next three to six months.

For the past four years, Syria has suffered from serious drought conditions, the effects of which have only been compounded by the instability and fighting.

According to the joint report, Syria's agricultural sector has lost US$1.8 billion (Dh6.6bn) this year as a result of the crisis.

"While the economic implications of these losses are quite grave, the humanitarian implications are far more pressing," said Muhannad Hadi, WFP's Syria country director.

"The effects of these major losses are first, and most viciously, felt by the poorest in the country."

Access to clean water and sanitation are also an issue in parts of the country, including the temporary shelters, which are not used to coping with a large influx of people.

Likewise, health care facilities are under increasing pressure. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Syria's health system is only partially functioning, with many public hospitals and clinics inaccessible.

WHO has also warned of a critical shortage of medicine, including that needed for chronic conditions such as tuberculosis and hepatitis, with the conflict forcing the closure of many pharmaceutical factories.

Aid agencies have also warned of an acute shortage of funding for emergency aid efforts. The UN has only received some $60 million of the $180m it needs for its activities inside the country.

WFP alone has appealed for $103 million for a six-month emergency operation to assist 850,000 people. However, the agency is facing a funding shortfall of $58m.