The current conflict is the worst that northwest Syria has experienced since the beginning of the crisis. More people have been displaced into a smaller area in a shorter period than ever before, with nowhere else to flee. Lives are increasingly at risk as increasing numbers of people are concentrated in smaller areas. Many are moving to unsafe areas as they have no other options.

In the span of less than 2 months (between 1 December 2019 and 23 February 2020), a total of 948,000 people in northwest Syria have been reportedly displaced. Some 569,000 of them are children with over 195,000 of them being women. Together they comprise 81% of the newly displaced population.

Given the high number of people who fled their homes in the past two months and the rapidity of the population movement, humanitarian needs in northwest Syria are increasing exponentially. Shelter, non-food items (NFIs), food, and protection assistance continue to be the most pressing needs, with 93% of the newly displaced individuals identifying shelter as the main need.

Let’s help Syrian refugees today!

NEW HOPE FOR ZAID

The beginning of the crisis in Damascus has caused Zaid, 10 years old, and his family to move to a village near Idlib. They are struggling to live in that place because a few weeks after they move into that place, the war began shelling the village. They need to spend their whole night under olive trees.

Zaid remembers the moment when the rocket landed and exploded just meters away from him. A fragment of the rocket killed his mother and injured Zaid’s right foot. His five-year-old brother Mohammed died directly, and his sister disappeared. Zaid was relocated to the nearest hospital for treatment. After that, he was relocated to Assalam camp, near the city of Atma, northern Syria.

The crisis that has been going on since 2011 has forced Zaid to use his walking stick until he got artificial foot from one of the organizations.

“I run and walk. I love it so much and I cannot live without it. I love football a lot. I wish all the injured children in this camp have these artificial parts to help them move and make them do not feel inferior to the rest of the children. I hope that this war will end soon so we can return to our village and we can live safely and peacefully.”

Zaid feels very happy and he started to share his dream.

* Please be informed that Islamic Relief Malaysia is in the midst of renewing our Tax Exemption status. Hence, all donations are not eligible for Tax Exemption receipt. We appreciate your continuous support and apologise for any inconvenience caused.