By Zana al-Ali
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Humanitarian aid to people in need in Northeast Syria is steadily dwindling as the conflict among international players in the Middle East escalates.
Major humanitarian organizations had initially intensified their support for Syrians when the Syrian conflict started in 2011. However, shrinking budgets have hindered their efforts.
The region is currently embroiled in a power struggle between Iran and its regional proxies on one side, and the United States, its allies, and Israel on the other. This has led to a cessation of support for the region, with the majority of donors redirecting their assistance to Gaza and Israel.
Significant impact
Ali al-Alays, Executive Director of the Sphere organization, said that people’s lives in Northeast Syria have been greatly affected due to a lack of funding, high unemployment rates, and poverty. These challenges are further compounded by the region’s ongoing recovery from the Syrian conflict and the previous control exerted by extremist groups over significant portions of the area.
He told North Press that essential services including education, healthcare, water, and sanitation have a decline as a result of the humanitarian funding shortage.
Al-Alays emphasized that humanitarian organizations in the region are facing immense pressure to provide support and assistance to the vulnerable population due to the funding shortfall, with a substantial portion of the available funds being allocated to conflict zones in Ukraine and Palestine.
The lack of funding has worsened the situation for the refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDP) in the region, leading to additional hardships in accessing fundamental services such as shelter and food, according to the al-Alays.
He called for increased funding for the humanitarian aid and strengthened partnerships between local and international humanitarian organizations and governments to address the needs of the affected population in the face of climate change.
Raising awareness about the humanitarian needs in the region and improving communication and educational initiatives to counter extremist ideologies are vital aspects that must be prioritized, alongside efforts to support social stability, according to Al-Alays.
The scarcity of funding poses a profound challenge in Northeast Syria, necessitating urgent and effective measures to address the pressing humanitarian needs of the region’s residents, he concluded.
Camps in need of support
Northeast Syria has been heavily affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and regional tensions in the Middle East, particularly the Israeli conflict in Gaza and the ongoing Turkish attacks targeting infrastructure. These events have had a detrimental impact on the humanitarian situation in the region, exacerbated by a lack of funding, leading to a decline in development and stability.
Sheikhmus Ahmad, co-chair of the IDPs and Refugees Affairs of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), told North Press about the dire situation in Northeast Syria, which is currently a besieged area housing one million IDPs.
There are about 17 IDP camps in the AANES-run areas. However, the U.N. only recognizes five of them, Ahmad said.
The AANES manages six camps in Hasakah, one in Deir ez-Zor, one in Raqqa, two in Manbij, two in Tabqa, and five in the northern countryside of Aleppo, aka Shahba Region, in addition to makeshift camps in the region.
Ahmad further emphasized that one million people in the camps, as well as millions of individuals with low incomes, are in desperate need of support. This need intensifies during the summer months when access to clean drinking water becomes a critical requirement for the camps’ inhabitants.
The ongoing conflicts in the region, particularly the conflict between Hamas and Israel, directly impact the humanitarian situation. Ahmad highlighted that the U.N. has scaled back its operations in Northeast Syria since October of 2023.
To address these pressing issues, the AANES collaborates with non-governmental humanitarian organizations affiliated with the United Nations to manage the camps effectively.
Ahmad urged the Security Council, the U.N., and the Arab League to contribute and facilitate the opening of crossings with the AANES particularly emphasizing the importance of reopening the al-Ya’rubiyah crossing.
On March 16, the WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) said the Syrian conflict has left 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid and 15 million people in need of health assistance over the past 13 years.