Military Highlights:
• HTS is now the dominant group in control of Damascus. However, there are several armed groups operating in the city according to the UN Special Envoy. These armed groups include but are not limited to:
o Syrian National Army (backed by Turkey)
o Southern Front
o These different groups coordinate with one another, but they are not fully or formally united.
• On December 8th, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed ground forces to seize buffer zone positions in the Golan Heights.
• U.S. Central Command announced on December 8th that US forces conducted airstrikes on 75 ISIS targets in the central part of the country
• Between December 9 and 10 the IDF launched numerous attacks throughout Syria, aimed at strategic weapons. These attacks included:
o Two Syrian naval facilities at the Al-Bayda port and the Latakia port that housed 15 naval vessels and sea-to-sea missiles.
o Over 350 air strikes were conducted that targeted weapons depots, launchers, drones, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radar sites, hangers and tanks.
• The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been monitoring the recent developments in Syria, with special attention to the status of its chemical weapons related sites and other locations of interest. The OPCW has reminded Syria of its continued obligations under the Convention.
Displacement and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:
• The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to be volatile:
o The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on December 9th that 90% of the population is relying on humanitarian aid.
o The Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) reported on December 10th, that they deployed specialized teams to provide emergency services to communities newly liberated from Assad's control.
o There has been some unconfirmed looting reported at UN agencies and Syrian Red Crescent Society (SRCS) aid warehouses on December 9th.
• Since November 27th, between 800,000 and one million people have been displaced across the country, including over 150,000 people experiencing secondary displacement:
o Women and girls comprise nearly 50% of those forced to flee their homes.
o Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are returning to their areas of origin.
o Displacement is complicated by the risk of explosive ordinance. UNHRC and its partners have identified at least 52 mine fields throughout the country:
On December 10th, the White Helmets reported that two children were killed and another two injured in a landmine explosion.
o The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has resumed operations as security conditions allow.
• Community centers are gradually re-opening in Aleppo and Damascus and emergency assistance is being provided in the northeast. As of December 11th, 15 of these 30 community centers in Aleppo supported by UNHCR are back in operation.
• Healthcare and Public Health Update:
o Hospitals across Syria are overwhelmed by the high number of trauma and other injury cases.
o Health partners reported significant psychological distress among civilians, with signs of trauma particularly pronounced in children.
o On December 9th, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) reported that the hospitals they support in Idlib are partially reopening.
• Food Security Update:
o Food shortages have been reported in major cities (Deir ez-Zor, Damascus, and Hama).
o The price of bread in Idleb and Aleppo has increased by 900% between November 27 and December 9.
o SAMS in partnership with the Insan Organization, has distributed 100,000 loaves of bread to families in Aleppo and Hama.
• On December 11th, the SRCS provided emergency maintenance of two water pumps' motors at the third sterilization station in the Suleiman Al-Halabi station to ensure that the water system in Aleppo remains operational and uninterrupted.
Violations of International Humanitarian Law Highlights:
• On December 8th, the White Helmets deployed five specialized emergency teams to Sednaya Prison to investigate reported hidden underground cells holding detainees:
o The teams consisted of search and rescue units, wall-breaching specialists, iron door-opening crews, trained dog units, and medical responders.
o On December 9th, the White Helmets reported that their search did not uncover any unopened or hidden areas within the facility.
• An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team visited Sednaya Prison on December 9th:
o The team observed that documents in the facility were damaged and scattered.
o The ICRC has called on relevant parties to prevent the destruction; and preservation of records of arrests, list of detainees or deceased, hospital records and other documentation.
• The SRCS has created an online form for former detainees to talk to their families and assist families in searching for their loved ones.
• The White Helmets are continuing to receive reports of unidentified bodies found in various locations across the country. Their teams are documenting these cases, preserving any personal belongings, and ensuring the bodies are transferred and buried in designated areas.
• The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has called on the Russian Federation to extradite Bashar Assad back to Syria to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
• The SNHR on December 9th reported that four civilians were killed by a Syrian Democratic Forces sniper in Manbij city.
Sources:
• The Whole of Syria Flash Update No. 4 - Recent Developments in Syria (As of 10 December 2024)
• Regional Flash Update #1: Recent Syria Escalations, 9 December 2024
• UN Special Envoy for Syria Twitter Page
• UN Refugee Agency, Syria Twitter Page
• Syrian Red Crescent Society Twitter Page
• Syria Civil Defence Twitter Page
• Syrian American Medical Society Twitter Page
• Israel Defense Forces Twitter Page
• Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Twitter Page
• ICRC Syria Twitter Page
• Syrian Network for Human Rights Twitter Page
• U.S. Central Command Twitter Page
Resources
Interactive Map: Assessed Control of Terrain in Syria
Syrian American Medical Society Monetary Donations Website
Syrian Emergency Task Force Monetary Donations Website
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