Water is Main Concern for over 90% of Displaced Syrians

By Diogo Augusto

5 Sep 2022 by The Water Diplomat

Child fetching water in refugee camp

Syrian NGO Humanitarian Response has released the results of a questionnaire the group ran on displaced Syrians revealing their biggest concerns and needs. The study found that the internally displaced people’s (IDP) main concern is securing water access during warm weather. 92% of the nearly 80.000 who answered the questionnaire pointed out that this was a major concern.

78.521 people across 147 camps in Northern Syria answered the questionnaire, including 22.581 women and girls, 7.513 boys and girls and 2.819 people with special needs. 79% of the respondents declared that another major concern was the onset of skin diseases due to lack of access to safe, potable water. According to the NGO, just over one third of all 1489 camps in Northern Syria have no water supply, with an additional 269 camps not getting enough water.

The lack of access to safe water is of great concern to IDPs as Summer has been particularly hot and dry in the region. Most IDPs depend on humanitarian aid for their survival and, in many cases, it is insufficient. This creates a situation where survival becomes increasingly difficult. The scorching Summer and the lack of safe, potable water, accentuates these issues and exacerbate a water accessibility problem which is not new to the region.

The NGO released a statement stating: “We urgently call on humanitarian organisations to take their humanitarian and moral responsibility towards the displaced people in the camps in North Western Syria, where more than a million and a half civilians are facing [high] temperatures by increasing humanitarian activities and securing many basic survival supplies.”