- Thousands of people have been displaced by the military offensive in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, with escalating needs for medical care and essential living items.
- MSF is planning to scale up our response, providing medical assistance and distributing items such as tents, blankets, and cooking sets.
- Our ability to step up assistance depends on a steady supply of items reaching northwest Syria, and MSF asks Turkish authorities to enable the passage of staff and supplies into Syria.
With thousands of people displaced by the military offensive on northwestern Syria’s Idlib province, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is planning step up medical assistance and aid distributions in response to their escalating needs. MSF is also asking Turkish authorities to facilitate the transit of staff and essential supplies into northwest Syria.
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Zahra describes life in Deir Hassan camp, Syria
More than 948,000 people have been displaced by bombing and shelling on Idlib province since 1 December 2019, according to the UN. Displacement of people on this scale, and in such a short time, is unprecedented since the Syrian conflict began nine years ago.
Most of the displaced people are concentrated in a small area along the Turkish border and are facing a critical situation. Many have been displaced several times already and finding yet another place to stay can be a challenge.
The camps for displaced people are overcrowded and water and sanitation facilities are inadequate for the large numbers of people, raising the risk of water-related diseases.
There are too few tents to accommodate the new arrivals, forcing people to sleep in the open or in unfinished buildings and makeshift shelters. People urgently need essentials such as blankets, mattresses and winter clothes.
Conditions for refugees in Idlib, Syria
The camps for displaced people are overcrowded and water and sanitation facilities are inadequate... People urgently need essentials such as blankets, mattresses and winter clothes.
Some people have been in the camps for a couple of months, others arrived in recent weeks. MSF plans to significantly scale up our activities in order to respond to their needs. Over the coming weeks, we will focus on distributing essential relief items such as tents, cooking sets, floor mats and blankets. The supply of a first batch of tents and relief items is currently being organised for 800 displaced families. MSF is also planning to provide trauma care and to reinforce basic healthcare for the displaced people.
MSF’s ability to step up our assistance will depend on a steady flow of medical supplies and essential relief items reaching northwest Syria, and also on our ability to send in our staff to support our Syrian colleagues, most of whom are exhausted after years of working in extremely difficult conditions.
MSF has no permanent presence in Turkey. To be able to scale up our response, we ask all relevant Turkish authorities to facilitate the transit of MSF staff and essential supplies into northwest Syria.
