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This document is the second governorate profile published by the Syria Needs Analysis Project (SNAP). The profile describes the current situation in Al-Hasakeh, with regards to the conflict, the subsequent displacement situation and the humanitarian needs, where available per district.

The Syria Needs Analysis Project welcomes all information that could complement this report. For additional information, comments or questions please email SNAP@ACAPS.org

Overview

The north-eastern Syrian governorate of Al-Hasakeh borders Turkey and Iraq and boasts a high percentage of Syria’s agricultural land and oil fields. The governorate’s geographic location lends itself to highly tense political relations with the neighbouring countries, while it also hosts vital trade routes for supplies, smugglers and arms. Given its complex political make-up and desirable oil fields, many groups have vied to control Al-Hasakeh. The governorate is hemmed in by Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor governorates, which are both controlled by extremist Islamist groups and have seen heavy fighting over the course of the conflict, making Al-Hasakeh one of the most difficult governorates for humanitarian assistance to reach. In recent months, aid supplies have been airlifted into the governorate, reaching beneficiaries that the UN has stated would be otherwise unreachable, although the extent to which it is distributed throughout the governorate is unclear.

Over the course of the conflict, the population of Al-Hasakeh have been increasingly vulnerable to severe poverty. Despite its wealth of natural resources, the governorate has long been one of Syria’s poorest regions. Al-Hasakeh suffered years of consecutive of drought between 2004 and 2010; severely impacting the economy, food security and health in the region and leading to widespread displacement both to urban centres and out of the governorate.