The effect of electricity shortage on the social wellbeing of people living in North and NW Syria. (English)

After 10 years of crisis, life has become harder than ever for Syrians in the North and NW of Syria. Since 2011, millions of Syrians have been forced to flee their homes, to seek safety as refugees in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond, or as internally displaced persons inside Syria. Syria’s infrastructure has been significantly affected by the ongoing conflict, including much of Syria’s energy infrastructure, whose destruction has impacted millions of Syrians. Previous studies have demonstrated a huge gap between electricity production, availability and demand, whilst this research has sought to understand the negative impact of those electricity shortages on the social wellbeing of adults and children living North and NW Syria. Although the lack of electricity was not found to be a significant reason for displacement inside Syria or beyond to other countries, it nevertheless was found to have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing with a direct correlation between wellbeing and access, including a direct impact on the education and learning of children.