INTRODUCTION
Throughout 2016, civilians continued to bear the brunt of a conflict marked by unparalleled suffering, destruction and disregard for human life. Protracted fighting and mass displacement remained the dominant features of Syria's humanitarian landscape and contributed to further deterioration the overall humanitarian situation in Syria.
Fierce fighting in Aleppo, Deir-ez-Zor, Idleb, Ar-Raqqa, Rural Damascus, AlHasakeh, Homs, Hama governorates resulted in over two million population movements, causing particular humanitarian hardship and protection needs. In contravention of the Security Council’s demands and obligations under IHL to lift the sieges, to end indiscriminate targeting of civilians and civilian objects and to provide rapid, safe, unhindered, unconditional and sustained access to all people in need, warring parties continued to block access and impose constraints.
The situation remained particularly devastating for around 640,000 people living in besieged areas in 2016 and around four million people in need in hard-to-reach locations. Out of these, around 1.3 million lived in areas controlled by ISIL, where grave violations of human rights continued to be reported and where humanitarian access persistently declined.
By the end of 2016, some 13.5 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance, including 4.72 million people trapped in besieged and hardto-reach areas. As the crisis persists, entering its seventh year, humanitarian needs continue to deepen and the resilience capacities of households and communities is increasingly compromised. In this climate, millions of families will continue to depend on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.
2016 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
The 2016 HRP aimed to assist up to 13.5 million people estimated to be in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.
Throughout 2016 humanitarian partners within Syria and across its borders reached an estimated 11.2 million people in need. Of these, 6.2 million were reached on average. Priority was given to the delivery of life-saving assistance to those most in need, particularly in besieged and hard-to-reach areas; people living in areas in high severity of need; those impacted by ongoing hostilities, IDPs, children, and Palestine refugees.
Despite widespread challenges, 2016 saw an expansion of the previous year’s efforts in terms of numbers of people reached and areas covered, both in direct assistance and service delivery. Early recovery activities also saw a sharp increase in capacities and programs deployed during the year.
On average, sectors achieved 80 per cent of their planned targets (this includes a mix of direct assistance to households, services provided as well as estimated people in catchment areas benefiting from support to service delivery).