2014 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP)

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE RESPONSE PLAN 2014
Needs persist in all 14 governorates across the country. Disproportionate increases in vulnerability have taken
place in areas more affected by the current events and subsequent population displacement and physical damage
to infrastructure, as well as in hard-to-reach areas, where humanitarian deliveries have been greatly challenged.
As such, priority districts are likely to be concentrated in the Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Dara‟a, Deir Ezzor, Idleb and
Homs and additional governorates that overlap with zones projected with the fastest growing poverty rates 31 .
Decreasing availability of water, sanitation and hygiene practices compounded by deterioration of living
conditions leading to risks of communicable disease outbreaks
The availability and supply of safe water has drastically decreased by 40 percent from pre-crisis levels, and has
resulted in a significant increase in the cost at which clean water is produced in many areas - even to the point of
surpassing the amount charged. For example, production of 1m3 of clean water costs approximately SYP 85
compared to the SYP 2.5 charged for purchase of this amount of clean water. Pre crisis, the per capita
consumption of water was approximately 110 litres per person per day (l/p/d) on average while post-conflict this
figure has reduced to 50 l/p/d or less due to lack of availability of resources and/or accessibility in order to repair &
maintain networks. The MoWR places the total damage to water and sanitation infrastructure to over 2.5 billion US
dollars. This is a conservative figure and the sector and with the Ministry considers the damage and funding needs
for repairs to be much higher (a comprehensive damage needs assessment is required to be carried). In addition
the unilateral economic measures, rising fuel and spare part prices are not helping east this challenge the ministry
and partners are facing. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, an estimated 35% of water treatment plants
have been damaged, while national production of water treatment chemicals has come to a halt as the unilateral
economic measures. As the payment of water bills is very low (10 percent of pre-crisis revenue rates), water
authorities have become unable to meet the maintenance, rehabilitation and repair costs of water networks. Thus
far, the MoWR has remained committed to the payment of salaries for 60,000 civil servants but delays occur
sometimes in hard-to-reach areas like Raqqa, The MoWR estimates a turnover of 15 percent in employment rates
within the Ministry, primarily due to factors related to the crisis which poses a concern for capacity.
Solid waste management is a critical concern across the country. Pre-crisis hygiene knowledge and practices do
not translate to current crisis conditions which include deteriorated availability and access to safe and clean water
and health services. Communities, the private sector and local capacities must engage with municipalities to
support services to minimize disease outbreaks.
Lower efficiency of waste water treatment plants due to break down of power supplies, Operation and
maintenance, has increased the level of discharge of untreated wastewater having a tremendous impact on the
environment, with high levels of ground and surface waterand private illegal oil refineries located in some areas,
which began to have a negative effect on the environment causing pollution. The MoWR and the MoE warns of an
eminent environmental disaster if the breakdown of municipal and household waste water management
systemsand the lack of control on the above mentioned oil refineries
Fuel availability and rising prices undermines interventions to increase the capacity of local water provision
systems, such as provision of generators and pumps, as local government and communities do not have the
resources to maintain the fuel supplies.
Increasing damage to water and sanitation facilities, overcrowded living conditions and inappropriate hygiene
practices contribute to a high risk of outbreak of communicable diseases. The winter season is accompanied by a
predicted increase in Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), due to increased vulnerability, reduced purchasing
power, indoor pollution during the winter months and restricted access to treatment and care. Children under five
years are likely to be the most affected, particularly those residing in overcrowded accommodations. A significant
increase is predicted beyond the 11.5% of cases reported in 2008. Other diseases associated with increased risk
during the winter include tuberculosis, which remains a major health burden, particularly in the North with 3,000
cases registered in 2013, influenza, meningitis, bloody diarrhoea, measles and skin diseases. Leishmaniasis has
now reached epidemic proportions, especially in the North. The mass population displacement has spread the
disease further than normal boundaries and threatens to expand transmission in neighbouring countries where the
sand-fly vectors already live.
Due to the disruption of the existing routine disease surveillance system, there is an increasing reliance on the
complementary surveillance system established by WHO, called the Early Warning, Alert and Response System
(EWARS) through which the sector is able to mitigate and respond to reported out breaks of the diseases in highly
affected governorates such as ARIs, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, influenza, meningitis, bloody diarrhoea, measles
and skin diseases.
31 Socioeconomic Roots and Impacts of the Syrian Crisis, The Syrian Centre for Policy Research: January 2013
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