Idlib: Children’s lives on the line

Today, an estimated 2.9 million people live in Idlib and the surrounding areas. At least 1.4 million of those are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who have already been forced to flee their homes at least once. Some children in Idlib have moved seven times or more seeking sanctuary from the conflict, and children are estimated to make up over half of the displaced. The province is home to one of the densest concentrations of internally displaced people in the world – in July, there were 317 active camps or shelters recorded by the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster (CCCM), hosting 75,005 families (at least 375,000 people) in the area. Many others live in half-built buildings, temporary shelters, or with friends and relatives

Not all humanitarian need is being met in this environment. Furthermore, gaining access and running operations is becoming more difficult. Save the children calls for the international community to build on the diplomatic progress made to avoid a military escalation in NW Syria and further displacement or risks to civilians. At the same time, aid and services to the population in this area needs to be maintained and increased, particularly as winter is approaching with hundreds of thousands of IDPs living in inadequate shelters.