Snowfall is not unusual in northern Syria and in areas at higher altitudes, biting subzero temperatures, strong wind, heavy rainfall and flooding are common throughout the winter months. As winter approaches, millions of displaced families are bracing themselves for freezing conditions in flimsy tents.
The number of people in need in Syria has reached an all-time high this year since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, at 16.7 million, up from 15.3 million in 2023.
The protracted conflict in Syria has resulted in mass displacement, with approximately 7.2 million people internally displaced. An estimated 2.2 million internally displaced people live in camps or self-settled sites across northeast and northwest Syria with poor to little preparation for the winter season.
Finding ways to keep warm this winter
We spoke with internally displaced people in Syria about how they will try and keep warm this winter.
“The situation at the camp is catastrophic, but we do not have better options.” - Tawasif
Tawasif is a mother who was displaced and has lived in an informal settlement for more than 7 years. The community consists of a cluster of makeshift tents set up by around 245 displaced families.
Every day she goes out on a trek to search for anything she could use to burn a fire that would keep her children warm. She relies mostly on the stalks and stems of eggplants or sunflowers to keep the fire lit. When she doesn’t find any wood, she collects plastic to use instead.
We need firewood for everything. We bathe ourselves in the winter by heating up water on the fire." - Rahaf
Rahaf is a mother of eight and resident of a self-organised informal settlement characterised by three clusters of makeshift tents that were set up in a valley in Raqqa in 2017. She is one of more than 300,000 people living in sites hosting displaced people in the northeast region. “We need the fire to keep warm, to cook and to heat water, since they [aid organisations] stopped distributing fuel, we had to find alternatives.”
“Seven years ago, we were forced to leave the badiya (desert) in search of safety away from the hostilities,” said Samer, a displaced father of six currently living in an informal settlement in Raqqa. “We reached this place carrying with us the simple hope for a better life, but the reality was more difficult than what we had imagined. Our life here depends on the most basic necessities for survival. Olive oil and thyme have become our main meal in light of increases in the price of food. We can barely afford to buy flour to bake bread, which is what we eat every day.
“We live in tents that we sew together from the burlap sacks we get from the landowners we work for. With the arrival of winter, we try to keep ourselves warm with old blankets, but the cold pierces through. The rain leaks into the tent and the winds have no mercy. We suffer from the lack of healthcare services, the closest clinic is 25 kilometres away from us and we can’t reach there easily by foot because of the tough weather conditions.”
How CARE is responding in Syria
CARE, with funding from the European Union, is providing multipurpose cash assistance through local partners to displaced populations in both northeast and northwest Syria. Winter distributions in northeast Syria in early November also included cash assistance, plastic tarpaulin sheets, woven mats, carpets and blankets.
However, aid agencies like CARE and our partners are not able to do nearly enough to support them, as funding has fallen drastically. Benoit Munsch, CARE Syria’s Country Director said: “We are alarmed by the hardships, sickness and suffering that this winter will bring. CARE and our partners are especially concerned about women and girls’ protection and the risk of gender-based violence without adequate shelter.”
Many displaced people have been living in tents for years and barely get any assistance that would help them make their tents stronger to endure the harsh winter months and protect them from the elements. Displaced people sheltering in last resort sites are suffering. They do not have enough food, water, clothes or household items, and the majority cannot access healthcare services.
How you can help people in Syria this winter
CARE has launched an urgent winter appeal to help families survive the winter in some of the world’s most dangerous places. Your donation could help provide women and their families with essential items like clothing, blankets or heaters.
- £23 could help buy a winter coat
- £53 could help buy a shelter kit
- £71 could help pay for a gas heater
