Damascus Governorate, December 2017 Humanitarian Situation Overview in Syria (HSOS) OVERALL FINDINGS1 Coverage Syria’s capital Damascus is located in the southwest of the country, close to the border with Lebanon. The Al Hurriya Ish Al Werwer situation in the governorate is relatively stable compared to other assessed governorates across Syria. In Harasta December 2017, none of the assessed neighbourhoods in Damascus reported departures of members of Qudsiya Barza Al Balad their pre-conflict population. Formerly contested Qaboun, Yarmuk, and Tadamon and currently contested Joubar Sharqi all reported that only 1-25% of their original population remained present in December. One neighbourhood, Rawda, witnessed spontaneous refugee returns2, reporting that approximately 15 Masakin Barza Qaboun - 18 refugees returned from Lebanon and Turkey in order to protect or reclaim their assets as well as Ayoubiya due to a lack of economic opportunities in both host countries. IDPs were present in all but three of the Al Arin Arbin Al Fayhaa Joubar Sharqi assessed neighbourhoods: Al Hurriya Ish Al Werwer, Al Arin and Joubar Sharqi. Of these neighbourhoods, Al Qusur Al 'Adwi 45% reported hosting over 1,000 IDPs while two neighbourhoods, Masakin Barza and Mazzeh 86, reported Dahiet Dummar Rawda the presence of 35,000 – 40,000 and 10,000 – 10,100 IDPs, respectively. KIs in both neighbourhoods cited Kafr Batna access to employment, income and shelter as one of the main reasons why IDPs chose to remain. Mazzeh 86 Pre-conflict, returnee and IDP populations reportedly lived in independent apartments or houses across Jalaa assessed neighbourhoods, with the exception of Joubar Sharqi. While pre-conflict and returnee populations Midan Wastani most commonly owned the property they lived in, the majority of IDPs in assessed neighbourhoods were Jaramana reportedly renting property or being hosted without rent. Formerly contested Qaboun and currently contested Zahreh Joubar Sharqi, reported that 76-100% of buildings in their neighbourhood were damaged; while residents Tadamon of Joubar Sharqi predominantly lived in caves, residents of Qaboun most commonly lived in independent Al Qadam apartments or houses. All but three of the assessed neighbourhoods reported that the network was their Yarmuk main source of water and electricity: Tadamon, Yarmuk and Joubar Sharqi. Tadamon also reported that no Al Assali Babella health facilities were available in the neighbourhood, while in Joubar Sharqi health facilities were available, Markaz Maliha Darayya but security concerns to enter and remain in facilities posed a barrier to accessing healthcare. Tadamon, Hajar Joubar Sharqi and Qaboun reported not having functioning educational facilities at all levels, but children Aswad 3 in Qaboun and Tadamon were able to attend schools in neighbouring areas . For more information on QatanaNeighbourhoods assessedSahnaya (20 of 100) Tadamon, Yarmuk and Qaboun, please visit the REACH Resource Centre. All neighbourhoods, with the exception of Joubar Sharqi, reported that food was available for purchase in Top 3 reported priority needs Demographics* December, yet seven reported challenges in accessing sufficient amounts of food. In these neighbourhoods, the most commonly reported barrier was the high cost of some food items. Although residents in communities 1. Protection 1,925,387 people in need reporting challenges in accessing food predominantly relied on business or trade, unstable employment was cited as a common source of income in four out of the seven neighbourhoods and two, Rawda and Yarmuk, 2. Healthcare reported that high risk, illegal work was a common source of income. All but two neighbourhoods reported 1,028,157 897,230 that household incomes were insufficient to cover needs and that residents were most commonly coping Food security 3. * Figures based on HNO 2018 population data for the by skipping meals, in 72% of neighbourhoods, and reducing the size of meals, in 56% of neighbourhoods. entire governorate. KEY EVENTS Violent clashes in Yarmuk despite Babila checkpoint reopens, Evacuations from the besieged Interagency convoy delivers First inter-agency aid convoy Qaboun and Barza Al Balad ceasefire agreement between allowing commercial goods to districts of Burza and Qaboun humanitarian aid to residents of enters Qaboun since it was classified as besieged by the UN. rival Armed Opposition Groups enter Babila, Yalda, Beit Sahem towards Idleb begin4. the besieged Yarmuk camp5. classified as besieged in April6. (AOGs)7. and Yarmuk8. April May 7 September 15 October Late October 23 November Damascus Governorate, December 2017 Governorate areas of influence: Area of influence* Al Hurriya Ish Al Opposition - Free Syrian Army (FSA) Werwer Barza Opposition - Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham Al Balad (HTS) Opposition - Free Syrian Army (Euphrates/Idleb Shield) Masakin Barza Qaboun Democratic Federation of Northern Ayoubiya Syria - Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Al Al Arin Fayhaa Democratic Federation of Northern Al Syria - Syrian Democratic Forces Dahiet Dummar Qusur (SDF-coalition) Al 'Adwi Joubar Rawda Sharqi ISIL - affiliated groups *Sourced from Live UA Map, 31 December 2017 Mazzeh 86 Jalaa Assessed Neighbourhood Midan Wastani Zahreh Tadamon Al Qadam Al Assali 2 Damascus Governorate, December 2017 DISPLACEMENT Estimated percent of pre-conflict population (PCP) displaced from neighbourhood: Ein Elfijeh Estimated number of IDP arrivals Al Hurriya 20 - 25 in assessed neighbourhoods in Ish Al December. Werwer Harasta Estimated number of Qudsiya Barza Al 15 - 18 spontaneous returns in assessed Balad neighbourhoods in December2. Qatana Masakin Barza Neighbourhoods with the largest estimated Qaboun number of IDP arrivals: Ayoubiya Arbin Rawda 20 - 25 Al Arin Al Fayhaa No further IDP arrivals reported Dahiet Dummar Al Al Qusur Rawda 'Adwi Joubar Sharqi Kafr Batna Mazzeh Top 3 sub-districts of origin of most IDPs 86 3,4 arrivals : Jalaa Midan Bait Jan (Rural Damascus) 100% Wastani Jaramana Markaz No further IDP arrivals reported Darayya Zahreh Maliha Tadamon Al Qadam Yarmuk Babella 20 neighbourhoods reported no PCP departures3,4. Al Assali Hajar Aswad Estimated % of pre-conflict population displaced from neighbourhood 75-99% 50-74% 25-49% 0-24% Neighbourhoods reporting spontaneous returns this month 3 Multiple choices allowed. 3 4 By percent of neighbourhoods reporting. Damascus Governorate, December 2017 SHELTER AND NFI Fuel sufficiency: Primary source of electricity 16 neighbourhoods reported no lack of fuel. Most Al Hurriya 4 Ish Al Werwer reported: common strategies to cope with insufficient fuel Barza Al in the remaining 4 assessed neighbourhoods3,4: Balad 80% Network 75+50+50+25+0 Burning plastic 75% Masakin Barza 15% Generator Qaboun Ayoubiya Burning furniture not in use 50% 5% Solar power Al Arin Al Fayhaa Al Qusur Burning waste 50% Dahiet Dummar Al Rawda 'Adwi Joubar Sharqi 80+15+5+0+0+A Cutting trees to burn 25% Mazzeh 86 Jalaa Governorate average reported rent price in Syrian Pounds (SYP) across Midan Wastani 18,906 SYP assessed neighbourhoods.5 Zahreh 6,882 SYP Syrian average reported rent price in SYP across assessed neighbourhoods.5 Tadamon Al Qadam Yarmuk Most commonly reported shelter type for PCP (in red) and IDP (in grey) households4: 95+ Al Assali Independent apartment/ house 100 95% Insufficient fuel reported Asssessed neighbourhood ++5+ 100% Cave or other natural shelter 0 5% Sufficient fuel reported Non-assessed neighbourhood 0% Reported fuel prices (in SYP)5: Governorate average Governorate average Syrian average price Fuel type: price in December: price in November: in December: Coal (1 kilogram) 393 395 337 Diesel (1 litre) 317 303 472 Butane (1 canister) 2,942 2,913 6,125 Firewood (1 tonne) 60,000 57,500 84,744 3 Multiple choices allowed. 4 4 By percent of neighbourhoods reporting. 5 1 USD = 434 SYP (UN operational rates of exchange as of 1 December 2017) Damascus Governorate, December 2017 HEALTH Presence of health facilities in assessed communities: Al Hurriya Neighbourhood reported that no medical items were available in the neighbourhood. Ish Al 1 Werwer Barza Al Neighbourhood reported that the majority of women did not have access to formal health Balad 1 facilities to give birth. Masakin Barza Qaboun Ayoubiya 13 neighbourhoods reported that residents experienced no barriers to accessing Al Arin Al Fayhaa Al Qusur 3,4 healthcare services. The barriers in the remaining 7 neighbourhoods were : Dahiet Dummar Al 43+29+29+29+29141414 Rawda 'Adwi Joubar Sharqi Security concerns when traveling to facilities 43% Old age 29% Mazzeh 86 Jalaa No health facilities available in the area 29% Midan Wastani Security concerns to enter/remain in facilities 29% Zahreh Disability/injuries/illness preventing travel 29% Tadamon Al Qadam Not permitted to enter facilities 14% Yarmuk Al Assali High cost of transportation to facilities 14% Healthcare services too expensive 14% No health facilities reportedly available in area Assessed neighbourhood Health facilities reportedly available in area Non-assessed neighbourhood 19 neighbourhoods reported that residents were not using coping strategies to Top 3 most needed healthcare Top 3 most common health deal with a lack of medical supplies. The coping strategies used in the remaining services reported3,4: problems reported3,4: 1 neighbourhood were3,4: 100++ Psychosocial support 65% Acute respiratory infections 80% Recycling medical items 100% Surgical care 25% Severe diseases affecting those 60% younger than 5 Medicine 20% Chronic