Rapid Needs Assessment Idleb Governorate-IDPs
MEAL Department
Whilst the Syrian crisis started since 2012 till present, IDPs movements still the one of the big challenges for the humanitarian responders across sites. Where the large number of IDPs have been documented monthly basis especially form the conflict areas in Southern Hama and Northern Idleb governorates. Based on UNHCR, CCCM clusters documented around 65,000 displacements since 1st, December 2017 till January 2018. On the other hand, 22 informal IDPs sites hosting more than 6,000 IDPs were completely vacated and most of the IDPs moved towards Sanjar district, around the existing informal IDPs sites in this sub-district, as well as Ma’arrat An Nu’man and Dana sub-districts. Moreover, most of DPs sites are congested and the facilities (toilets, showers, WASH…etc.) are overwhelmed. Some services in sites are 400% above their planned capacity to serve.
Therefore, MHD team started a rapid needs assessment in those locations which received a large number of IDPs to identify the most priority needs to ensure meeting the best responding from the humanitarian providers. Also, MHD team targeted the locations which have a big gaps in services provision and provided aid to stand on the real situation and limitations in providing the needed assistance.
Random Camps Reprot
The Rapid needs assessment was conducted through 30 filed team who interviewed a number of key informants in 54 different locations using cluster sampling methods. The key informants were local council managers, camps manager, Relief offices managers, and information office managers. MHD team tried to target the locations which received the largest number of displacements and need urgent interventions especially in NFIs, WASH, Shelter and other urgent assistance including (Ma’arrat An Nu’man, Jisr-Ash-Shugur and Harim, districts. The assessment questionnaire was designed by technical program team and MEAL team to ensure covering the needed aspects to get full understanding about the top priority needs of the displacements. In addition, the questionnaire was uploaded on online data collection platform (Kobo) and the qualitative data analyzed by taking notes and number of the displacements and their priorities needs per location.
The total number of assessed IDPs was 17,113 families, 91,752 individuals. Out of total IDPs, 31,070 were females, 25,326 were males, 43,609 were children, and 501 were disabilities. This number includes the new IDPs who arrived recently and old ones who need urgent intervention as well.
The analysis will be breakdown according to the number of displacements in each district and their propriety needs and the challenges. In addition to identify the gaps and the needed intervention based on the assessed locations with highlighting the locations with need urgent intervention by the humanitarian providers.
Ma’arrat An Nu’man District:
The total number of assessed IDPs in Ma’arat An Nu’man district after new influxes was 31,649 individuals, 6,136 families. Out of them, 12,625 were females, 8,875 were males, 14,712 were children, and 146 were disabilities. The Largest number of IDPs was in Khan Shaykun, Heish and Kafer Sejna.
1. Shelter:
Most of IDPs in Ma’arat An Nu’man were in rented accommodation where they live in houses and pay for it monthly basis, except in Heish (Maesorona) there was random camps which includes 140 teants with bad status and without plastic sheets. The number of individual was 11 persons per tents because the large number of new IDPs. This camp needs at least 140 plastic sheet especially now in the rainy season. On other hand, most of the shelters were not protected from water because of the bad status of shelter in general.
1.1. Challenges of the shelter:
- High prices for rented accommodation with lack of houses.
- Crowding at the same shelter.
- Uncompleted houses
- There was no sewage system in the camp
2. Non-food Items:
In Ma’arat An Nu’man sub-districts, most of IDPs were without having seasonally appropriate clothing, with No or partially availability of NFIs in the local markets or shops, and with no ability to purchase basic households items. Hence, IDPs need urgent NFIs assistance because of lack of ability of IDPs for getting NFIs easily.
The unmet priority needs Non Food Items in all the locations were as follows;
1. Hygiene kits
2. Mattresses
3. Blankets/bedding
4. Firewood/fuel
5. winter kits
6. Kitchen sets/cooking utensils
7. Water containers
Where most of local council managers indicated these needs as priority needs for all the IDPs.
Furthermore, the barriers which were keeping people from meeting these needs were all locations the same barriers as follows;
1. Items were not available
2. Unable to afford items
3. Unable to access markets
4. Items available are poor quality
5. Safety or protection concerns.
3. WASH
The main source of water in these location was Public tap stand, hand-dug well, water network and water truck. The IDPs in the communities used water network, while the IDPs in the camp used water trucking and public tap stand.
Mainly, Women and Main were responsible to collect the water in the communities and the camp in this district.
The main concerns in accessing water were as follows;
- Lack of water sanitation/treatment capacity (e.g. filters, chlorine tabs)
- Lack of sufficient water containers (e.g. jerry cans, buckets)
- Lack of water for bathing/washing
- Lack of clean drinking water
- There are not enough water points available
The Main concerns regarding the sanitation were as the following.
- There were not enough separate toilets for men and women
- Overcrowding of shared toilets
- Lack of privacy
- Accessibility problems for children, women, elderly and disabled population
- Accessibility problems for children, women, elderly and disabled population
All of these affected on the hygiene practices for all the IDPs, where lack of water, Hygiene items,
sanitation and clean environment. Otherwise, no problems reported regarding solid waste disposing
4. Access to Humanitarian Aid.
Furthermore, the main concerns related to the delivery of aid and service provision were as follows;
1. There was not enough aid for all in need
2. The aid provided did not address actual needs
3. Aid was not appropriate or accessible for people with specific needs/vulnerabilities
4. Limitations in movement preventing relief organizations from accessing affected populations
5. Access to aid was unequal among affected communities or households (gender, age, disability)
Harim District:
The total number of assessed IDPs was 45,028 Individual, 8,422 families. Out of total IDPs, 14,969 were female, 12,999 were males, 17,190 were children, and 284 were disabilities.
Most of the IDPs were in formal and informal comps which received a large number of IDPs especially in Dana and Slaqin sub-district. It is worth to mention that most of recent IDPs movements arrived to Harim district with large number of families who need urgent support and intervention especially in the camps.
1. Shelter:
The IDPs were in formal and random camps, and most of them were not protected from the water because of the bad status of the tents and the shelter in general. Also, those who live in rented accommodation, were not protected from the water because of bad situation of the accommodation which was uncompleted houses or small rooms.
Regarding the assessed camps, the table below shows the number of tents per camp with status of tents and plastic sheets with the number of person in each tent.
1.1. Challenges of the shelter:
- High prices for rented accommodation.
- Lack of tents and Plastic sheets in the camps.
- The bad land in the camps because of the camps built on agriculture land.
- Lack of Shelter items such as mattresses, carpets and blankets.
2. Non-food Items:
In Harim Sub-districts there was lack of having seasonally appropriate clothing, in NFIs availability in the local markets and shops, and lack of ability to purchase basic household items. Most of IDPs with limitation to access to NFIs needs accept some locations where IDPs were able to meet their needs of NFIs.
The unmet priority needs Non Food Items in all the locations were as follows;
1. Mattresses
2. Firewood/fuel
3. Blankets/bedding
4. Baby diapers
5. Winter kits
6. Kitchen sets/cooking utensils
7. Clothing/shoes
8. Shelter/Tents
Furthermore, the barriers which were keeping people from meeting these needs were all locations the same barriers as follows;
- Items are not available
- Items available are poor quality
- Unable to afford items
- Unable to access markets
3. WASH
The main source of water in most if the camps was water trucking. Women and girls were mainly responsible for collecting water.
The main concerns related to water were as follows;
- There were not enough water points available
- Lack of clean drinking water
- Lack of water for bathing/washing
- Distance to water point was too far
- Financial constraints – water was unaffordable
- Lack of water for cooking/
The main concerns related to sanitation were as follows;
- Lack of functional household toilets
- Lack of privacy
- Accessibility problems for children, women, elderly and disabled population
- There are not enough separate toilets for men and women
- Toilets are not clean (e.g. toilets are not maintained, no soap and water is available)
The Main concerns related to hygiene promotion were as follows;
- There was not enough soap available
- There was not enough water available
- Security constraints limit access to water/soap, or places to wash
- There were not enough places to wash
On the other hand, no challenges reported regarding the solid waste disposing in the official comps, some challenges reported in the new and the random camp such as lack of waste bins, throwing the waste around the camps, and lack of waster disposing worker
4. Access to Humanitarian Aid.
- There is not enough aid for all in need
- The aid provided does not address actual needs
- There is not enough information on aid, people are unaware
- Non-affected communities are also demanding aid
- Political interference in aid distribution by controlling parties or individuals
Jisr-Ash-Shugur District:
The total number of assessed displaced was 15,075 individual, 2,555 families. Out of total IDPs, 3,476 were females, 3,452 were males. 11,707 were children, and 71 were disabilities.
1. Shelter:
The displacements were living at rented accommodation in the hosted communities and just in Harkoush there were two random camps which needed urgent support.
There was a large number of tens in tow round camps which needs plastic sheets, new tents and heaters.
The average number of persons per tent was 6 persons.
1.1. Challenges of the shelter:
- High prices for rented accommodation.
- Lack of tents and Plastic sheets in the camps.
2. Non-food Items:
Most of IDPs were in Jisr-Ash-Shugur district without seasonally appropriate clothing and without ability to purchase basic household items, however, there was availability of NFIs in the local markets and shops in all the locations.
The unmet priority needs Non Food Items in all the locations were as follows;
1. Mattresses
2. Firewood/fuel
3. Baby diapers
4. Blankets/bedding
5. Hygiene kits
6. Winter kits
7. Solar Lamp
8. Clothing/shoes
Furthermore, the barriers which were keeping people from meeting these needs were all locations the same barriers as follows;
- Items were not available
- Unable to afford items
- Items available were poor quality
- Unable to access markets
3. WASH:
The main source of water in the communities was piped water system, water trucks, and public tap stand (protected water point in the community. Whilst in the camps, the main water source was water trucks. Also, the women and men were responsible to collect water in the community, while women and boys were responsible to collect water in the camps.
The main concerns related to water were as follows;
- There were not enough water points available.
- Lack of clean drinking water.
- Lack of water sanitation/treatment capacity (e.g. filters, chlorine tabs).
- Lack of sufficient water containers (e.g. jerry cans, buckets).
- Distance to water point was too far.
The main concerns related to sanitation were as follows;
- There were not enough separate toilets for men and women.
- Lack of functional household toilets.
- Overcrowding of shared toilets.
- Accessibility problems for children, women, elderly and disabled population
- Lack of privacy.
The main Concerns related to Hygiene promotion were as follows;
- There were not enough places to wash
- There was not enough water available.
- There was not enough soap available.
No challenges reported regarding solid waste disposing in the communities, just in the camps there was lack of waste collecting worker.
4. Access to Humanitarian Aid:
The main challenges in accessing to the humanitarian aid were;
- There is not enough aid for all in need
- The aid provided does not address actual needs
Conclusion:
Whist the IDPs arrivals increase daily basis to the northern areas of Syria, the needs of assistance and interventions to meet the IDPs priority needs in terms of Shelter, NFIs, Medical, and WASH services to decrease the suffering of IDPs as much as possible. On the other hand, the locations in Harim district which received a large number of IDPs need urgent intervention especially NFIs, shelter and WASH based on the collected data from the targeted locations. Moreover, IDPs continues arriving to the north areas of Syria due to the continuous conflict in Northern Hama and Southern Idleb which means urgent response to those IDPs who is in need to provide their priority needs as soon as possible.