Syrian Arab Republic: Flash Update No. 10 on the Recent Developments in Syria (as of 7 January 2025) [EN/AR]

Highlights

• Hostilities continue to impact civilians and vital infrastructure in Syria. On 3 January, shelling damaged the Al-Khafsa water station, reducing water supply to Aleppo city and its countryside.

• Humanitarian access remains challenging in parts of north-east Syria, due to the ongoing closure of internal border crossings and bridges damaged by recent fighting. This continues to restrict the movement of goods and people, including aid workers and students.

• Health partners are sounding the alarm over critical fuel shortages at Menbij National Hospital, which serves 100,000 people and has been relying entirely on generators to power ICU machines and incubators for several days.

• As of 2 January, over 522,000 people across Syria have returned to their areas of origin after a month of displacement. Some 627,000 people remain newly displaced – 42 per cent of them in Idleb.

• On 6 January, WHO conducted the first UN cross-border mission of 2025, crossing to Azaz in northern Aleppo to conduct training for paramedics. Additional cross-border missions from Türkiye are planned in the coming days.

Situation Overview

Hostilities and insecurity remain active across Syria, resulting in movement restrictions and damage to vital infrastructure over the past week. On 3 January, shelling damaged the Al-Khafsa water station, reducing water supply to Aleppo city and its countryside while partners reported facing challenges in accessing the station due to ongoing clashes. In Menbij, Aleppo Governorate, shops and service providers remain closed or are reluctant to operate after dark due to recent violence.

Humanitarian access remains a challenge in parts of north-east Syria. The internal border crossing connecting Menbij to areas east of the Euphrates River, including Ar-Raqqa, remains closed, preventing the movement of goods and people, including aid workers. A curfew from 21:00 to 5:00 local time is still in effect in Ar-Raqqa. Meanwhile, in Deir-ez-Zor, the movements of students and workers are impeded between the two banks of the Euphrates due to bridges damaged by recent fighting. This includes the Hatlah bridge, previously used by the UN for humanitarian missions, which is now in need of rehabilitation.

In other areas in the north-east, access has not been disrupted. For instance, humanitarian shipments from Damascus to Qamishli City, Al-Hasakeh Governorate, are ongoing. Several UN agencies also received supplies through the Tabqa crossing point in Ar-Raqqa Governorate.