Iraq News Now

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hostilities displace approximately 586,000 people in northwest Syria since December 1

• Humanitarian organizations suspend health care services at more than 50 facilities in northwest Syria during January

• Despite ongoing security concerns, relief actors continue to provide humanitarian aid to IDPs and other conflict-affected Syrians

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Since December 1, Government of the Russian Federation (GoRF) airstrikes, shelling, and a Syrian Arab Republic Government (SARG) ground offensive have displaced an estimated 586,000 people from and within southern Idlib Governorate and western Aleppo Governorate, including approximately 200,000 people displaced from January 26 to February 2 alone, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Relief actors note that a significant portion of newly displaced people in northwest Syria had previously been displaced by conflict in recent months, reflecting a trend of compounding primary, secondary, and tertiary displacements in the region.

• Hostilities continue to impact humanitarian services in northwest Syria, with heavy fighting resulting in the closure of more than 50 health facilities during the month of January, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reports. In addition, an airstrike caused major structural damage to a hospital in Idlib on February 4, rendering it inoperable, according to relief actors.

• While ongoing hostilities pose significant safety and security challenges for humanitarian agencies in northwest Syria, USAID/OFDA, USAID/FFP, and State/PRM partners continue to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable populations. USG partners are distributing essential relief items, food, and winterization support to internally displaced persons (IDPs); supporting hospitals and mobile clinics serving conflict-affected populations; and providing shelter and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance to IDPs in camps and informal settlements across the region.