Funding gap is putting millions of Syrian lives at risk this winter

The 2022-2023 winter season is anticipated to be one of the harshest in Syria.

In the north-west, 4.6 million people are bracing for another cold winter season of flooding, snowstorms, and unpredictable weather events. Half of this population depends on winter assistance to meet their most basic needs, the majority of whom are women and children living in camps with limited or no access to heating, electricity, water supply or adequate sewage systems.

Today, 1.8 million out of 2.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in north-west Syria are living in over 1,400 camps and unplanned, selfsettled sites. 838 IDP sites are now categorized as “bad”, “very bad” and “catastrophic” risk levels by the Syria Cross-border CCCM Cluster, making them vulnerable to harsh weather and fires.
Since the last winter season, in October 2021, 31,041 IDP shelters were damaged by weather incidents to varying degrees. During this same period, 540 shelters were destroyed by fire resulting in nine deaths and 116 injured people.

In anticipation of rising needs in the upcoming months, the humanitarian community has finalized its Winterization and Flood Preparedness Response Plan in September. According to this plan, US$209.5 million are needed to fund 40 activities to meet the needs of 2.5 million people in north-west Syria this winter. Activities range across clusters, from providing agriculture inputs for winter crops and medicines for respiratory infections to distributing fuel, blankets and winter clothes.