Satellite-Detected Damage Density in Damascus Subdistricts, Syria (2016-2017)

December 2017 satellite imagery analysis by UNITAR - UNOSAT identified 12,541 affected structures in parts of Damascus Governorate, Syria. The analysis shows a 6% overall increase in damaged buildings since April 2016, with subdistricts like Kafr Batna seeing a 17% increase. This preliminary assessment has not been field-validated.

Use Cases

• Map building damage density based on satellite-detected structural damage classifications.
• Analyze temporal change in conflict damage based on comparisons between 2016 and 2017 imagery.
• Identify areas of repeated targeting based on the percentage of buildings damaged a second time.
• Support humanitarian needs assessment and planning based on geospatial damage data.

Strengths

• Quantifies 12,541 affected structures with breakdowns by damage severity (3,853 destroyed, 5,141 severely damaged).
• Provides temporal comparison showing a 6% overall increase in damage and specific increases for subdistricts like Ein Tarma (14%).
• Identifies areas of repeated targeting, with approximately 7% of previously damaged buildings suffering additional damage.

Limitations

• Preliminary analysis not validated in the field, as stated in the description.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)

Collection Method

Analysis of satellite imagery acquired on 3 December 2017 and 2 April 2016.

Time Range

2016-2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-25 09:06:11.584209; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Kafr Batna and Irbin subdistricts and eastern Damascus city, Damascus Governorate, Syrian Arab Republic.