Deir-ez-Zor: Situation Overview and Sub-district Profiles Syria, June 2018 Background Methodology Since mid-2017, ongoing conflict has led to displacement from and within Overall, 112 locations in Deir-ez-Zor governorate were assessed between 4 and 11 Deir-ez-Zor governorate, totalling an estimated 230,000 persons from July to mid- June 2018 through remote Key Informant (KI) interviews, with a minimum of three December.1 While there had been de-escalation in some parts of the governorate KIs per assessed community and one KI per informal site. Different tools were in early 2018, renewed sustained conflict and related violence between Syrian used to assess communities and informal sites to identify population estimates Democratic Forces (SDF) and the group known as Islamic State of Iraq and the and multi-sectoral needs. Levant (ISIL) as well as sporadic clashes between SDF and Government of Syria Whilst efforts were made to cover as many locations as possible, assessed sites (GoS) are precipitating further displacement and exacerbating already-severe and communities were selected on the basis of their accessibility and should humanitarian conditions. Following previous assessments in February and April not be considered as a fully comprehensive list. Information should only be 2018, REACH recently conducted another rapid needs assessment to address considered as relevant to the time of data collection, given the dynamic situation information gaps and to provide an overview of the location and humanitarian in the governorate. Findings are not statistically representative and should be situation of different population groups. Assessed locations are clustered along considered as indicative only, particularly as they are aggregated across locations three main transects of the Euphrates and Khabour river (see Map 1). between which the sectoral situation may vary. Overview Assessed communities / total communities: 101 / 135 under ISIL control. Food distributions reportedly occurred in the two weeks prior Assessed informal sites (tents): 11 to data collection primarily in sub-districts west of the Euphrates river, with some communities in Kisreh sub-district also reporting food distributions. Total estimated population in assessed locations: 586,300 • IDP shelters: The vast majority of IDPs are reportedly residing in host • Health: Although health facilities are present and accessible throughout communities rather than in the assessed informal sites, and are predominantly Deir-ez-Zor governorate, specialised health services are needed. Surgery and residing in apartments or houses in these communities. However, in around a treatment for chronic diseases were reported as primary health needs in more third of assessed communities, KIs reported that IDPs are living in collective than 70 of 112 assessed locations. In addition, more basic services such as first centres. aid / emergency care (52 of 112 of assessed locations) and diarrhoea treatment • Education: While formal primary schools are present and accessible in most (35 of 112 assessed locations) were also identified as key needs. assessed locations in the governorate, facilities are reportedly in poor condition. • WASH: The quality of drinking water is poor across the governorate. In all sub- Child labour and customs and traditions (such as early marriage) are also districts, many communities and informal sites reported that water tastes and limiting children’s school attendance. smells bad, and in nearly half of assessed locations people reportedly fell ill after • Electricity: Across the governorate, electricity is primarily accessed from drinking the water available to them. Additionally, in sub-districts to the east of private generators, typically for two to six hours per day. In particular, electricity the Euphrates river at least half of households in some assessed locations lack was identified as a priority need in sub-districts to the west of the Euphrates. sufficient quantities of water, regardless of its quality. • Protection: Protection concerns are most severe (threat from airstrikes or • Food security: Food markets are reportedly functional in all assessed direct gunfire) in the North and East Line areas, where the active conflict is communities, and assessed core food items are generally available and affordable most concentrated. Across the governorate, there are reportedly challenges in communities;2 however, these items are reportedly unaffordable in locations with freedom of movement and document confiscation. Map 1: Locations of assessed communities and informal sites Population Community Informal Site ² (! 1 - 1,000 (! AL-HASAKEH !( 1,001 - 5,000 !( AR-RAQQA !( 5,001 - 15,000 !( 15,001 - 50,000 !(!( KISREH !( !( 92,830 !( !( 50,001 - 150,000 !( TABNI !( !( !( !( !( !( 21,110 !( !( !( ! !( !( !( ( !(!( !( Unassessed community !( !( !(!( (! !( !( !( !( 3 !(!( !( !( !( SUR Areas of control (June 2018) !( !( !( WEST LINE !( !(!( !( KHASHAM 25,555 !(!( !(!( (! 22,756 !( (! (! NORTH LINE !( !( ! (! Contested areas ( !( !( (! !( !( !( ! (!!( (! (! BASIRA ( !((! !( (! !( !( DEIR-EZ-ZOR (! 58,712 Government of Syria ! !((!!( ( !( !( 188,635 !( !(!( !( !( MUHASAN !( ISIL (! 11,475 !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( THIBAN !( !( Syrian Democratic Forces !( 52,700 AL MAYADIN !( !( !(!( 16,845 (! !( TURKEY !( (! ASHARA !(!( HAJIN (! !( 12,280 (! 49,900 !( !( !( HOMS !( !( !( JALAA !( EAST LINE !( 0 !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( SUSAT !( ABU KAMAL !( 2,700 !( 15,400 !(!( IRAQ !( Kms 0 5 10 20 30 40 JORDAN 1. OCHA, “Syria Crisis: Northeast Syria - Situation Report No.20”, 21 January 2018. 2. The assessed core food items are bread, rice, bulgur, flour, lentils, cooking oil, and sugar. 3. Areas of control taken from http://syria.liveuamap.com/ as of 27 June 2018. Data was not collected for communities in Jalaa sub-district because of a lack of available KIs. While ISIL controls marginal territory in desert areas of the North and East Line sub-districts, the Syrian Democratic Forces control populated areas. This overview therefore does not consider those sub-districts as contested. 1 Deir-ez-Zor: Governorate Overview June 2018 WEST LINE Context Map 2: West Line sub-districts • The West Line area of Deir-ez-Zor governorate comprises SDF-controlled Kisreh sub-district, the contested Khasham sub-district, and the primarily GoS-controlled sub-districts (Tabni, Deir-ez-Zor, 3 AR-RAQQA AL-HASAKEH Muhasan) west of the Euphrates river. • As the area was the first to be taken by GoS and SDF forces in offensives at the end of 2017, there is a high number of returnees as well as IDPs from elsewhere in the governorate (who were displaced as the offensives progressed south). • Humanitarian access is better than elsewhere in the governorate but remains limited, despite HOMS slight improvements in recent months. GoS-controlled sub-districts are particularly difficult to access. SDFcontrolled Key findings Contested (SDF and GoS) GoScontrolled IRAQ • Access to comprehensive health services is poor, even in areas where hospitals are operational, Source: Live UA Map with KIs reporting limited medical supplies for vulnerable groups and a lack of formal facilities. Surgery, emergency care, and treatment for chronic conditions are the primary health needs. Assessed communities: 49 / 56 • There is limited electricity in the areas to the west of the Euphrates, specifically Tabni, Muhasan Assessed informal sites: 5 and western parts of Deir-ez-Zor sub-district. In these areas, households are primarily accessing Estimated population: electricity from private generators, typically for less than four hours per day. 341,900 individuals in total • The WASH situation has reportedly improved slightly since the April 2018 assessment, with 44,500 IDPs increased availability of water from the main network and sufficient water for household purposes 297,400 host community members in most communities. KIs reported that issues with drinking water quality remain, and IDPs are 83% of host community members are returnees reportedly practicing open defecation in Kisreh, Khasham and Deir-ez-Zor sub-districts. NORTH LINE Context Map 3: North Line sub-districts • Basira and Sur sub-districts comprise the North Line area, which extends along the Khabour river from Al-Hasakeh governorate to the Euphrates. Communities are largely clustered around both rivers and adjacent to roads running parallel to the Khabour river. While this area is primarily controlled by AR-RAQQA AL-HASAKEH the SDF, the front line with ISIL is in the desert southeast of the Khabour river.3 • IDPs from other conflict-affected areas of the governorate have also fled to Basira and Sur sub-districts, primarily from Khasham, Hajin, Jalaa and Susat sub-districts as well as Hasakeh governorate. These households are primarily residing in apartments or houses, while, on average, around one quarter of IDP households are reportedly sheltering in collective shelters within communities. HOMS Contested (SDF and ISIL) IRAQ Key findings Source: Live UA Map • The quality of available drinking water is poor. In more than half of assessed locations, KIs a reported individuals fell ill after consuming drinking water in the two weeks prior to data collection. Assessed communities: 20 / 29 Water trucking is the primary source of water for all but four communities in this area. Assessed informal sites: 0 • Though medical needs are significant, healthcare services are limited. Medical supplies for Estimated population: the injured / war-wounded and those suffering from chronic disease