Much of the media's attention remains fixed on the misery being endured by Ukrainians and the plight of its refugees. But what about the continued and prolonged suffering of the victims of the other war in Syria.
Amnesty International said in a new report, "'Unbearable living conditions’: Inadequate access to economic and social rights in displacement camps in north-west Syria" as a consequence of the Syrian government’s denial or obstruction of people’s access to economic and social rights, internally displaced people (IDPs) are living in dire conditions in camps are extremely vulnerable and entirely dependent on international aid for survival. Since the start of the armed conflict, the Syrian government has relentlessly attacked the healthcare system in north-west Syria and obstructed the delivery of medical aid, impacting the right to health for millions of people. Reductions in international aid over the past year have seriously undermined living conditions for north-west Syria’s residents and IDPs, leading to shortages of staff, medicine, equipment, and reduced operational capacities, prompting health facilities to scale down or halt their operations and vital services.
About 1.7 million people are currently living in camps in north-west Syria, 58% of which are children, with no solution in sight. The vast majority of people have for years lived in tents with little or no access to water and sanitation, which increases the risk of waterborne diseases. These women, men and children have been living in absolute destitution, and are entirely dependent on humanitarian organizations for survival. More than half of the internally displaced population in north-west Syria lives in 1,414 camps, usually in one-room tents that do not offer insulation from the extreme cold or heat common to the region. IDPs receive water mostly through communal tanks, but the amount they receive is less than half their need. Just 40% of IDPs have access to functioning latrines.
“Many of these displaced women, men and children have spent over six years living in conditions of absolute destitution in north-west Syria. They have little prospect of returning to their homes due to ongoing violations by the Syrian authorities at their place of origin, but staying put means living in unbearably harsh living conditions, and risking disease and gender-based violence,” said Diana Semaan, Amnesty International’s Acting Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Since losing control of the north-west part of the country, the Syrian government has cut off electricity and water supplies, obstructed aid, and attacked camps, medical facilities, and schools, putting the onus on humanitarian organizations to provide services..."
Health workers told Amnesty International that the camps represent a risk to health as they have contributed to the transmission of contagious diseases. They added that the poor quality of water and sewage treatment has led to the spread of waterborne diseases.
Humanitarian workers told Amnesty International that overcrowding, a lack of privacy, unfenced camps, the inability to lock tents and their exclusion from decision-making processes have exposed women and girls to a range of gender-based violence, including violence by family members, camp management and residents, strangers and humanitarian workers.
Donors and humanitarian organizations have not been able to provide people living in camps with adequate access to essential services due to insufficient funding.
A humanitarian worker said: “The problem is that we never attempt to solve the underlying causes of several issues in camps like health, protection, etc. For example, we know very well what causes Leishmaniasis [a waterborne disease]. We allocated funding for medication every year for it, instead of working towards connecting camps to water sources, stop the water trucking, and building a sewage system. The same old approach of an emergency response is no longer enough. We need to integrate it with other approaches that would provide durable solutions.”
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