Iraq News Now

In Numbers

11.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance

6.2 million people internally displaced

6.6 million people food insecure

2.6 million people at risk of food insecurity

Highlights

• In December, WFP dispatched food assistance for 4.5 million people across all 14 Syrian governorates. This includes food assistance for more than 1 million people provided via the Logistics Cluster-facilitated cross-border operation from Turkey to areas not accessible from inside Syria.

• The security situation deteriorated further in north-western Syria with heavy airstrikes and ground clashes reported between Government forces and non-state armed groups. WFP responded with distribution of ready-to-eat rations to some 108,400 people. WFP continues to respond to the humanitarian needs, and reached more than 1 million people with general food assistance (GFA) in December, as well as 64,700 children with nutrition support.

• In north-eastern Syria, the situation remained volatile with clashes ongoing between Kurdish-led and Turkish-backed forces.

Situation Update

North-Western Syria

• The security situation continued to deteriorate since late November, and airstrikes continue to be reported in southern Idlib and north-western Aleppo governorate. According to the latest update in December by the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster (CCCM), some 300,000 people were newly displaced from southern rural Idlib governorate, amidst the intensification of violence; 80 percent of the displaced are estimated to be women and children. The recent escalation of violence is the most intense since a ceasefire came into effect on 31 August 2019.

• In response, WFP provided emergency life-saving food assistance for some 108,400 people in December through distribution of ready-to-eat rations to the newly displaced. In addition, WFP In December assisted more than one million people across north-western Syria with GFA, and provided nutrition assistance (through blanket supplementary feeding) to some 65,000 children.

North-Eastern Syria

• The security situation in north-eastern Syria remained tense and unpredictable throughout December, with clashes between Kurdish-led and Turkish-backed forces continuing across several areas of Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates, including the Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abyad areas. IDP return movement continue to be reported, as well as sporadic displacement due to ongoing hostilities. Some 70,600 people remain displaced, and some 130,000 have now returned to their places of origin in Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorate as of 18 December, according to OCHA.

• In addition to the internally displaced in Syria, some 19,000 people have fled to northern Iraq since 14 October, according to IOM. In December, WFP Iraq reached some 9,700 of the arrivals with emergency food distributions in the Bardarash camp and Gawilan transit site, located approximately 150 kilometres east of the Syria-Iraq border.