Syrian Arab Republic: Cross-Border Humanitarian Reach and Activities from Türkiye (July 2023) – Syrian Arab Republic

CONTEXT

Extreme heat and food shortages raised concerns in north-west Syria in July. Security Council Resolution 2672, which authorized UN aid delivery to north-west Syria via Bab Al-Hawa, expired on July 10 without an extension. From July 10 to the end of the month, the UN continued to use Bab Al-Salam and Al-Ra’ee for the crossborder movement of aid and UN personnel, while local partners continued with service delivery and the distribution of pre-positioned aid. By the end of July, 3,079 trucks carrying UN aid had crossed from Turkey to north-west Syria using three border crossings, and 169 UN cross-border missions were completed since the earthquake first struck.

Throughout the month, communities had to contend with the scorching heat with temperatures reaching over 40 Celsius degrees. The situation is particularly dire in camps where 800,000 people live in tents. At least 40 fires were reported from 15 to 17 July, damaging homes and tents in both the Idleb and northern Aleppo governorates. Furthermore, reductions in food assistance due to funding constraints have raised serious concerns among aid workers and communities. These cutbacks pose a significant risk to the population, especially since malnutrition is already on the rise. Amidst these challenges, hostilities continue to be documented. Strides were made in health. The cross-border referrals of new cancer patients from north-west Syria to Türkiye via Bab Al-Hawa resumed on 26 July. While the system officially resumed on 5 June following a temporary disruption by the earthquakes, the backlog of new cancer patients has increased significantly.