WEEKLY REPORT 19 – 25 March 2021

KEY DYNAMICS

Turkey, Russia standoff 2

First Turkish airstrike on Self-Administration in 17 months ...... 2

Russian and Syrian airstrikes in northwest ...... 2

Security and living conditions, Northeast ...... 4

ISIS targets SDF members in eastern Deir-ez-Zor ...... 4

ISIS prisoner escape in Sur ...... 4

Ar-Raqqa locals complain of lack of electricity ...... 5

COVID-19 in government-held areas ...... 5

Ministry of Health additional measures to combat COVID-19 ... 5

Cover: Clashes in Ein Issa (Source: Levant news)

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  1 Turkey, Russia standoff Russian Forces withdraw from Ein Issa First Turkish airstrike on Self- Local sources reported that Russian military personnel and vehicles withdrew from Al- Administration areas in Muallaq and Saida villages and Ein Issa city seventeen months towards the town of Tal Elsamen (Be'r Al- Hulo Al-Wardeyyeh subdistrict), around 22 km away A Turkish fighter jet struck military positions of after the military escalation. The withdrawal the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town comes amid increased rumors of Russia of Saida (Ein Issa subdistrict) on 19 March. The demanding the handover of Ein Issa to the Syrian Turkish airstrikes are the first aerial raids on government. It is worth mentioning that Self-Administration areas in Syria since Turkey’s previously some Russian forces had already Operation Peace Spring in October 2019. withdrawn from Ein Issa following The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights disagreements between the SDF and Turkish (SOHR) claimed that the aerial attack came after forces in mid-February. a failed advance on SDF frontlines in Ein Issa by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Russian and Syrian airstrikes in Reportedly Turkish forces, along with the SNA northwest had launched a new ground offensive on Ein Issa, however were pushed back by SNA rocket fire Opposition-controlled areas in Idleb and on armed forces and military posts in the western Aleppo witnessed a significant subdistrict. Intense clashes with medium and escalation of violations of the 5 March ceasefire heavy weapons continued between the two agreement. On 20 March, Syrian government sides over a period of two days, resulting in the and Russian airstrikes targeted the towns of killing of eight members of the SDF, as SOHR Bkafla (Jisr-Ash-Shugur subdistrict) and Benin reports, and an unknown number of Turkish or (Ariha subdistrict). On the same day, the Syrian SNA fighters. Displacement of local residents government launched artillery and missiles from the area was also recorded. targeting the villages and towns of Qarqur, Al- Mashiak, Tal Wassit, Al Zaqoum, and Doqmaq Local sources reported that the Turkish air (Ziyara subdistrict), and Shinan, Bazabur, and attack took place while members of the SDF Benin (Ariha subdistrict). A day later, were conducting a mine-removal operation in Al- government forces fired mortar shells at the Al Muallaq and Saida villages. Local sources Maghara Hospital in Atareb (Atareb subdistrict), attributed the escalation to the fact that the resulting in the death of six civilians and the operation took place in close proximity – wounding of sixteen others. Also on 21 March, estimated at 5-10 km away – to Turkish military Russian airstrikes targeted several locations observation posts in the area, which could be close to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in the perceived as a threat and consequently led to a northern Idleb countryside, including a gas direct confrontation between the two parties. factory, a parking lot for fuel trucks and the fuel

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  2 market in Sarmada (Dana subdistrict). On the concerns over the recent attacks in Idleb and same day, a Russian ballistic missile was aimed at western Aleppo. The attacks are considered the a Failaq al-Sham (an armed-opposition group most significant violation of the 5 March within the SNA) headquarters near the town of ceasefire so far and raises questions over Qah (Dana subdistrict), killing one civilian and whether it will continue to hold. injuring another. In humanitarian terms, the Response Government actions in response to Coordination Group (RCG) issued a statement opposition attacks in Aleppo? denouncing the breach of the ceasefire, stating the strikes hit highly populated areas hosting up SANA, the government news agency, claimed to 488 IDP camps. In an attempt to safeguard that Turkish-backed opposition groups in the civilians, educational complexes in Idleb western Aleppo countryside targeted suspended schools for one day following attacks government-controlled neighborhoods of Al- on civilian homes, a school and a public facility by Firdous and Al-Salihin in Aleppo city, launching government forces. Additionally, the Bab Al- artillery shells which resulted in the death of two Hawa Surgical Hospital also announced a one- civilians and wounding of seventeen others on day suspension of its internal and external clinics 21 March. This accordingly was used to justify to protect patients and visitors as a result of the the government’s subsequent attacks. On the bombing. same day, a spokesperson for the SNA, Major Youssef Hammoud, denied any opposition Upcoming gas shortages in northwest involvement in the events. Adding further difficulties for the Turkish- 5 March ceasefire agreement in backed administration, the gas factory hit by jeopardy Russian airstrikes was the sole point for collection and distribution of imported gas from On 23 March, Turkish news agencies reported Turkey. Gas cylinders are distributed from the that the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned factory to all opposition-controlled Idleb and Ankara’s Russian ambassador to discuss its areas in western Aleppo. With the supply temporarily halted as a result of the attack, prices of gas cylinders jumped from 78 to 82 TRY (and to 90 on the black market).

Local sources reported that WATAD, a prominent fuel company which owns the factory is likely to use its stock of gas cylinders to avoid a gas crisis in the region as they work to repair the damage. Burning gas factory near Bab Al-Hawa crossing with Turkey (Source: AFP)

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  3 Security and living conditions, northeast masked gunmen exchanged machine-gun fire, with no casualties reported. Later on in the ISIS targets SDF members in evening, masked gunmen also targeted the SDF’s eastern Deir-ez-Zor al-Syriac checkpoint, with no casualties reported. On 19 March, Mazloum Al-Kurdi, the commander of the Self-Defense Regiment of the SDF's search and arrest operations Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was continue to trigger local tensions assassinated in the village of Jdid Ekeidat Between 20 and 21 March, the Kurdish Special (Khasham subdistrict) in eastern Deir-ez-Zor. Forces and the SDF raided the towns of Jdid Local sources reported that Al-Kurdi was on an Ekeidat, Jdidet Bakara and Dahleh, all in inspection tour of the regiment's various centers Khasham subdistrict, and arrested 20 individuals in Khasham subdistrict when his car was hit by on charges of collaborating with ISIS. Local explosives. The assassination of Al-Kurdi came sources reported on armed clashes between the days after Khalil Al-Wahsh, deputy commander residents of Jdidet Bakara town and the Kurdish of the Deir-ez-Zor Military Council, survived a Special Forces, after the latter killed a civilian second assassination attempt in Jdid Ekeidat during the search and arrest operation. (Khasham subdistrict). On 17 March, masked Following the incident, the victims' family and men on a motorcycle opened fire at Al-Wahsh’s relatives attacked the Special Forces and the vehicle while passing through the town of Jdid SDF, expelled them from the village, and warned Ekeidat. The first assassination attempt was in them not to return. Local influential figures such July 2019 when his vehicle was shot at by as the town's mayor, Turki Al-Rayyash, machine guns in Dahleh (Khasham subdistrict). intervened to resolve the dispute. Reports On 21 March, members of the SDF and the indicate that Al-Rayyash met with several local Internal Security Forces (formerly Asayish) were leaders from the SDF, and an investigation into targeted during celebrations of Nowruz (Persian the incident was agreed. New Year) in the town of Jazaret Albuhmeid (Kisreh subdistrict). ISIS prisoner escape in Sur

Local sources reported that masked men on a On 22 March, 11 detainees escaped from a motorbike opened fire at the gathering killing prison run by the SDF’s Intelligence Service in two and wounding two others before escaping the town of Sur (Sur subdistrict). Local media the scene. The wounded were transported to Al- sources reported that the escapees were able to Shifa’ hospital. Further, in another attack on the dig a tunnel inside the prison's bathroom and SDF, on 23 March, in the town of Basira (Basira escaped through it during the absence of the subdistrict), masked gunmen launched an RPG at prison director and other key officials, who were the General Command building of the SDF- reportedly celebrating Nowruz in the city of Al- affiliated Basira Brigade. The SDF and the Hasakeh (Al-Hasakeh subdistrict).

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  4 The SDF has since arrested several personnel the electricity deficit. Generator owners, in the working in the prison believed to have played a neighborhoods supplied by the official electricity role in facilitating the prisoners' escape. Local network, operate the generators for a period of sources reported that six of the escapees were 3 hours a day at the price of 1,500 SYP per week, arrested on charges of ISIS affiliation. for one ampere of electricity. In neighborhoods that are not supplied with electricity from the In search of the escaping detainees, the SDF official network, generator owners operate mobilized its forces in the northern countryside generators for 9 hours a day at a price of 1,500 of Deir-ez-Zor and the northeastern desert of SYP per ampere per week. As a result of power Deir-ez-Zor, in which escapees are likely to be outages, local sources have reported a able to hide and where ISIS fighters from the noticeable increase in petty crime and theft battle of Al-Bagouz retreated and now conduct across residential neighborhoods and markets operations. It is worth noting that this is not the affected by the electricity rationing, and have first time that prisoners in Sur have tried to grown to feel unsafe leaving their homes due to escape, after a failed attempt in November 2020. unlit streets.

Ar-Raqqa locals complain of COVID-19 in government-held areas lack of electricity Ministry of Health declares Ar-Raqqa city residents have been complaining additional measures to combat on social and local media about increased COVID-19 electricity outages and rationing over the past month. The Ar-Raqqa Civil council attributed the On 19 March, the Ministry of Health issued electricity outages to Turkish dams upstream several measures in Damascus city to combat reducing the levels of water in the Euphrates the spread of COVID-19. New measures River, necessary to power the Tabaqa included suspending non-emergency medical hydroelectric dam. operations from 22 March to ensure hospitals are able to operate at full capacity to treat The General Electricity Company reduced the COVID-19 patients. The measures would also number of hours for electricity provision via the enable healthcare workers, particularly main network from 12—14 hours per day to 6 anesthesiologists, either to be available at a hours per day, with electricity provided at the moment’s notice or to be present in the hospital inconvenient hours between midnight and 6 am. at all times. Finally all hospitals in the Residents have called on the Ar-Raqqa Civil governorate were directed to work on a plan to Council’s Services Committee and the Fuel provide additional healthcare workers to Directorate, SADCOP, to allocate fuel quantities operate the new COVID-19 wards in hospitals. at a subsidized price to owners of generators in their neighborhoods in order to run the generators for a period of 8 hours a day to cover

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  5 Government hospitals at full capacity On 18 March, Dr. Toufic Hisaba, Director of Ambulance and Emergency in the Ministry of Health, stated that ICUs reserved for COVID-19 patients in Damascus city were full. Hisaba added that the ministry was considering setting up new ICUs in Az-Zabadani and Al Qutayfah hospitals in Rural Damascus to take in more patients. Before Hisaba’s statements, Dr. Ahmad Abbas, head of the al-Mujtahid hospital, stated on 16 March that his hospital’s ICU wing had been full for over a week, and that the number of patients in the quarantine ward had increased by 200%.

Healthcare workers urge citizens to respect precautionary measures Ministry of Health exceptional measures for Healthcare workers and officials in Syrian combating COVID-19 in Damascus (Source: Ministry of Health) government areas seem to agree that COVID-19 cases are increasing dramatically and that precautionary measures must be followed to help contain the spread of the virus. On 16 March, Dr. Issam al-Amin, head of the al- Muwasat hospital in Damascus city, stated that the COVID-19 infections have tripled in the last month alone, later adding the hospital received 55 confirmed cases this month compared to 15 the previous month. On 20 March, Dr. Muhammad Nabogh al-Awa, a member of the advisory team to combat COVID-19, stated that the number of cases was growing at a higher rate than the previous wave in late 2020; Al-Awa added that private clinics have been receiving 15 patients per day compared to 2 patients per day during the second wave. Ministry of Health statement declaring hospitals’ capacity to deal with COVID-19in Damascus city is Al-Awa later added that the increase is due to the at 100% (Source: Ministry of Health) new strain's highly infectious nature and the

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  6 Syrian citizen's recklessness. Al-Awa stated that understands the economic crisis, which Syria is only approximately 5% of the Syrian population going through, the fact remains that “the were wearing face masks and abiding by economy is not dependent on shisha.” precautionary measures, and urged citizens to wear masks to reduce the risk of infection. He COVID-19 spread risks intensifying later emphasized that disease needs to be taken When talking about the increased infection seriously, saying that "COVID-19 isn't the flu; it's rates, al-Awa mentioned that infection rates are a killer flu…. you either recover, or you die, and particularly high in Damascus, Rural Damascus there is no in-between." and the coastal region (likely referring to Lattakia and Tartous). However, with hospitals Healthcare workers push for fines quickly reaching capacity and the cancellation of Noting the increasing risk of the healthcare non-emergency treatments to dedicate more system being overwhelmed in addition to resources to combat COVID-19, the continuing recklessness by Syrian citizens, government’s mismanagement of the pandemic Hisaba stated on 18 March that continuing may lead to the situation further spiraling out of refusal to observe precautionary measures may control in all areas under its control. On 20 require "imposing fines on people not adhering March, the head of As-Sweida governorate’s precautionary measures." Al-Awa later said on directorate of health, Dr. Nizar Mhanna, stated 20 March that (due to the ongoing economic that the number of cases in the governorate had problems) he understands that people are forced increased from 17 to 25 within the span of one to wait in long and crowded lines and queues to day. Mhanna added that this is a very dangerous receive necessities, such as bread and fuel, but indication of the virus’s intensification, pointing that does not justify a refusal to wear a mask at to dozens of additional infections and the least. subsequent deaths. If the Syrian government fails to enact policies that prioritize public health Healthcare workers express and enforces precautionary measures, then local disappointment with government healthcare systems in other governorates, who policies notably have less capacity, may find themselves In addition to their disappointment with the facing an equally grim, if not a grimmer scenario. Syrian population’s recklessness, al-Awa expressed disgruntlement with the Syrian You might have missed; government’s irresponsible policies, particularly  SDF close smuggling routes criticizing the Ministry of Tourism’s decision to reintroduce shisha on 3 March. He stated that  Military conscription, Deir-ez-Zor “frontline health workers are risking their lives  SDF siege on Syrian government to contain the spread, while others facilitate its  Syrian government surrounds Dar’a spread.” He later added that while he

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021  7

CONTACT Nicholas Bodanac Humanitarian Access Team [email protected]

The Humanitarian Access Team (HAT) was established in Beirut in March 2015 in response to the collective challenges facing the remote humanitarian response in Syria. Successful humanitarian and development interventions require a nuanced and objective understanding of the human ecosystems in which these interventions occur. To this end, the HAT’s most important function is to collect, triangulate, synthesize, analyze and operationalize disparate data and information. Since 2015, HAT analysis has provided a forward-looking template for international interventions in Syria, and facilitated an increasingly nimble, adaptive, integrated, and ultimately impactful international response to the Syrian conflict.