Syria - Since August 2012 IOM has delivered essential non-food relief items (NFI) to 260,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 11 Syrian governorates.

An estimated 6.8 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, including 4.25 million IDPs. As the fighting intensifies, the community’s coping mechanisms, including resources, are now nearly exhausted.

Access to vulnerable displaced families is deteriorating, resulting in dire shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

IOM is partnering with local NGOs to ensure that aid reaches affected communities in areas where international organizations have limited access. IOM staff have been able to personally monitor 80% of the distributions.

This week IOM and its partners distributed NFI kits to nearly 9,300 beneficiaries in Aleppo and Homs. The kits include blankets, mattresses, pillows, underwear, insecticides, jerry cans and cleaning items.

IOM has also been distributing hygiene kits to reduce the risk of water-borne diseases, as displaced communities in many urban areas have increasingly limited access to clean water.

Displaced families are also in desperate need of shelter and IOM is working to rehabilitate public buildings to house them. It has already completed three shelters for 1,850 people. Some 80 others are currently being assessed or rehabilitated.

In addition to helping Syrian IDPs, IOM is continuing to resettle mainly Iraqi refugees from Syria to third countries. Some 13,875 have already been resettled abroad and a further 489 are expected to leave by the end of August. Since November 2011 some 3,625 stranded migrants have also been returned from Syria to their countries of origin.

For 2013, IOM has appealed for a total of US$ 94 million to respond to the Syrian crisis. Some US$ 41 million of the appeal are for operations inside Syria and US$ 53 million for operations to help Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

To date it has received US$ 18.6 million for emergency response and emergency life-saving activities in Syria and US$ 9.7 million for activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt through year end.  

For more information, please contact

Maria Rumman
IOM Syria
Email: mrumman@iom.int