HIGHLIGHTS
USG announces $140 million in additional humanitarian assistance for refugees from Syria and host communities in Lebanon
SDF-led offensive continues to drive displacement from and within Ar Raqqah, with more than 45,000 displacements recorded in June and July
WHO launches poliovirus vaccination campaign in Al Hasakah, Ar Raqqah, and Dayr az Zawr
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
On July 25, the U.S. Government (USG) announced $140 million in additional funding to support refugees from Syria and host communities in Lebanon, bringing total USG humanitarian assistance in Syria and the region to nearly $6.7 billion since the start of the Syria complex emergency. The funding includes $108 million from State/PRM to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as $32 million from USAID/FFP to support the UN World Food Program (WFP). More than 1 million Syrian refugees were registered in Lebanon as of June 30, according to UNHCR.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) offensive to retake the northern Syria city of Ar Raqqah from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to drive displacement from and within Ar Raqqah Governorate, with nearly 45,500 primary and secondary displacements recorded between June 1 and July 24, according to the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster, the coordinating body for humanitarian CCCM activities, comprising UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders. Humanitarian organizations, including USG partners, are responding to the urgent humanitarian needs of conflict-affected people in Ar Raqqah and neighboring governorates, as security conditions allow.
Since March, the UN has confirmed 30 cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus in Syria, including one case in Ar Raqqah and 29 cases in Dayr az Zawr Governorate. To mitigate the risk of further disease transmission, USG partner the UN World Health Organization (WHO) is targeting nearly 450,000 children ages five years and younger in Dayr az Zawr, Ar Raqqah, and southern parts of Al Hasakah Governorate through two vaccination campaigns; a first immunization round occurred between July 22 and 26.