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

CONTEXT

The month of September saw an uptick in hostilities resulting in the death, injury and displacement of civilians. As many as 6,500 families were temporarily displaced across north-west Syria from 1 to 9 September, with Ghandorah and Jarablus as the most affected sub-districts. All families have returned home by the end of the month. The incidents have led to the temporary suspension of humanitarian facilities and activities. At one point, 14 schools in Ghandorah have been used as temporary shelters for displaced families.

UN aid deliveries and staff movements via Bab Al-Hawa resumed in September since Security Council 2672 lapsed on 10 July. On 19 September, a UN interagency convoy comprised of 17 trucks carrying aid provided by IOM, UNICEF, WHO and WFP crossed from Türkiye to north-west Syria using the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing.
By 30 September, nearly 4,100 trucks had crossed using three border crossings – Bab Al-Hawa, Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ae – since the start of 2023. Since the earthquakes struck, more than 220 UN cross-border missions have been completed across 27 out of 45 sub-districts in north-west Syria.

Strides have been made concerning health this month. The first radiotherapy machine for cancer treatment arrived in north-west Syria at the end of September following the joint advocacy efforts of the humanitarian community and support from the Government of Türkiye. According to the Health Cluster, there are some 7,000 cancer cases in north-west Syria.