Beirut, Lebanon, December 14, 2016 — In response to the situation in Aleppo, Paul Donohoe, International Rescue Committee’s Syria Crisis Senior Media Officer, said:
“Escaping Aleppo doesn’t mean escaping the war. After witnessing the ferocity of attacks on civilians in Aleppo, we are very concerned that the sieges and barrel bombs will follow the thousands who arrive in Idleb. We already know Idleb isn’t a safe area of Syria. The attack on a school in Hass on October left twenty-two children and six teachers dead, and two IRC supported hospitals were attacked in the province in 2016. There is a real danger that such outrages will not only continue but intensify.”
Helping those fleeing Aleppo
In the past week, around 4,000 people from Aleppo have arrived in and around Al Dana town, around 25 km west of Aleppo in eastern Idleb province. Many of the new arrivals are now living in unfinished buildings without heating, toilets or running water. Up to four families are living together in each building and in one case, 16 people were found living in a single room.
To help ensure people can purchase the basics they need, the IRC will be giving $100 to 500 of the most vulnerable families. The IRC is hoping to secure more funding to reach all 800 of the new families in Al Dana, as well as to help any future arrivals.
The International Rescue Committee in Idleb
The IRC currently supports 12 health facilities in Idleb governorate and five schools providing an education for 4,000 children. The IRC also supports four livelihood centres that help around 5,000 Syrians each month boost their income through skills training, job placements and business start-up grants, as well as providing emergency cash distributions to the most vulnerable families.