Charities in Syria warn of spiralling humanitarian consequences following recent surge in conflict

A network of 70 international NGOs working in Syria (known as SIRF) calls on all parties to protect civilians and ensure the immediate, sustained and safe delivery of principled humanitarian assistance to those in need.

With at least half a million people already displaced by war in Lebanon into Syria, renewed violence across the country is displacing thousands more and exacerbating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

From Aleppo to Idlib to Hama, our partners report that surging hostilities are endangering civilians, driving internal displacement, disrupting the continuity of essential services and obstructing the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid. Offices and facilities of some partners have been damaged or destroyed, further impacting humanitarian operations.

Up to 45,000 people have already been displaced around the frontlines, and the United Nations estimates 200,000 to 400,000 Syrians could be internally displaced unless hostilities cease.

Significant civilian casualties, including women and children, have also been reported. The rules of war must be upheld by all parties to conflict in Syria. Precautions must be taken to prevent harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, hospitals, schools and shelters must be protected, and safe, unimpeded delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance enabled without exception or delay.

Some 16.7 million Syrians required humanitarian assistance before the current rise in violence, including over 7 million internally displaced.

In a crisis rife with protection risks, the response remains overstretched and woefully underfunded: less than 30 per cent of required funding is available to humanitarians already navigating exceptionally challenging circumstances to reach those in need. This week’s developments threaten to push Syria and Syrians closer to the edge and confirms yet again that conditions remain untenable for safe return.

As part of a network of 70 international NGOs in Syria (SIRF) CAFOD joins in calling for:

1. An immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties to the conflict to prevent further loss of civilian lives, protect communities already devastated by over a decade of war, and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.

2. Immediate, safe, and unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations to reach all people in need, regardless of location or affiliation.

3. Adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict, ensuring the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian workers and facilities.

4. Urgent, flexible funding to respond to humanitarian needs across Syria, including to support those affected by the spike in hostilities, the 16.7 million Syrians already in need of assistance, as well as the 560,000 who have sought refuge in Syria from Lebanon.

5. Recognition of Syria’s conditions as unsafe for return: Governments and the international community must acknowledge that Syria remains unsafe for return and uphold the principle of non-refoulement to protect the rights and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers.

Notes for editors

For media interviews with local experts on our work in Syria, contact Rosalind Mayfield:

• rmayfield@cafod.org.uk

• +44 (0)7856 799169

Or call CAFOD’s out-of-hours media line: +44(0)7919 301429.