UN: returnees increasing in western rural Aleppo; winter needs and fuel costs hinder response in northwest Syria

Farhan, the UN spokesperson, said OCHA completed a cross-border mission from Turkey to Aleppo city and a field visit to western rural Aleppo where partners are implementing cash-for-work, peacebuilding and education activities funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund.

The visit found a significant increase in returnees to the area, many of whom had been displaced to northwest Syria. Farhan said families are often living in damaged and looted houses that lack basic infrastructure such as doors and windows. He also reported ongoing artillery shelling and other security incidents affecting parts of the country, including eastern Aleppo near the Tishrin Dam and northern al-Hasakah governorate.

OCHA and partners warned that high fuel and transportation costs have left most mobile teams working in urban areas, leaving rural and remote areas without services such as counselling and psychosocial support. The price of heating fuel has increased by 50 to 80 percent in certain areas, Farhan said, and about 1,500,000 people are living in displacement camps in the Idlib governorate, many in tents with limited access to heating.

Why it matters: winter conditions, shelter damage and rising fuel prices are increasing humanitarian needs and limiting agencies’ ability to reach some of the most vulnerable populations in northwest Syria.

Context: Partners on the ground are implementing programs funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund and using cash-for-work and education activities to support returnees; OCHA continues to monitor access and security constraints.