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Current Requirements (US$)$4.58 billion
The Middle East faces escalating challenges, with Lebanon’s situation deteriorating rapidly since late September 2024, leading to widespread internal displacement and cross-border movements into Syria and neighboring countries. As of beginning of November, Lebanon had 878,497 internally displaced people (IDPs) while approximately 510,000 had crossed into Syria (71 per cent Syrians, and 29 per cent Lebanese and other nationalities). These developments further strain overstretched resources and services, intensifying the already volatile regional landscape, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, undermining development gains, and deepening the vulnerabilities of both refugees and host communities.
Now in its fourteenth year, the Syria crisis has displaced more than 5 million Syrians who continue to seek refuge in neighboring countries covered by the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP): Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. In 2025, Iraq will transition out of the 3RP by promoting refugee inclusion into public services and shifting the remaining humanitarian programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2025-2029. The prolonged displacement has severely strained host countries' infrastructure, economies, and public services, especially in employment, housing, healthcare, education, and waste management.
Jdeidet Yabous Border Crossing, Syrian Arab Republic
People fleeing hostilities in Lebanon carry their belongings as they cross the Jdeidet Yabous border into Syria on foot. The road between the Lebanese (Al-Masnaa) and Syrian (Jdeidet Yabous) sides of the border has been severely damaged and made impassable by three Israeli airstrikes.
UNHCR/Hameed MaaroufIn 2024, socio-economic conditions in 3RP countries deteriorated further, due to rising living costs, limited job opportunities and fuel shortages, which increased vulnerabilities across populations. In Lebanon, even before the recent escalations between Israel and Hezbollah, severe economic instability and inflation had pushed many refugee households to adopt harmful coping mechanisms, like child labor and early marriage. Host communities are also impacted, with 73 per cent of Lebanese living in multi-dimensional poverty. In Jordan, poverty levels among refugees have risen sharply, with many resorting to borrowing money and cutting essential services like healthcare and education. Similarly, Egypt’s deteriorating economic situation requires resilience-focused interventions to help both refugees and host communities manage higher costs and access basic services.
These regional fragilities are compounded by ongoing conflicts, such as in Sudan and Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), recent escalations in Lebanon, and disasters. The overlapping emergencies place immense pressure on host countries' already overstretched systems. For example, in Türkiye, recovery efforts following the February 2023 earthquakes continue to burden local systems. Protection concerns, including child labor and domestic violence among refugees, are also rising, worsening the hardships faced by vulnerable populations.
Looking to 2025, 3RP countries face considerable challenges that require a coordinated, multisectoral approach to address the compounded impacts of rising poverty and shrinking protection space. Alongside these socio-economic pressures, Lebanon and Jordan are increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks, placing large segments of their refugee populations at high risk. This underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience-building strategies across the region.
Lebanon-Syria cross-border displacement amid escalations
Since 23 September 2024, the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon has driven around 510,000 people to cross into Syria, with an estimated 71 per cent of these arrivals being Syrians and 29 per cent Lebanese refugees and other nationals. Most new arrivals have crossed into Syria through border points including Joussieh and Dabbousieh in Homs, Jdaidet Yabous near Rural Damascus, and Jesr Al Kamar near Wadi Khaled, with significant populations (over 100k) moving on towards north-east Syria and a smaller number (around 8k) towards north-west Syria.
These populations have distinct protection issues and vulnerabilities. They are mobile, exposed to protection risks, including crossing lines and borders within the region, and beyond. For Syrian refugees returning to Syria in adverse circumstances, their protection needs are heightened having fled conflict and violence in Lebanon to return to a country devastated by years of conflict and an uncertain safety and security environment.
The response to this new emergency is outlined in an Inter-Agency Emergency Appeal (October 2024 to March 2025). Partners are providing critical services - shelter, food, health, and protection - to address the multi-sectoral needs of those displaced, both at the border crossing points as well as in the destination communities. However, the scale of the emergency has already grown beyond the initial planning figures and these cross-border movements have intensified existing pressures on Syria’s already strained resources adding further complexity to the broader humanitarian response across Syria. With needs that will likely stretch beyond March 2025, ensuring sustained support throughout 2025 is essential to bolster both immediate relief and long-term resilience for displaced populations and their host communities.
In addition to 3RP requirements, in 2025, US$ 189 million is urgently needed for the ongoing response to assist the new arrivals fleeing the conflict in Lebanon. As of mid-November, the appeal remains severely underfunded.
Response priorities in 2025
In 2025, the 3RP will continue its integrated humanitarian and resilience-based development approach, focusing on the protection and socio-economic inclusion of Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities. With over 17.1 million people in need, including 6.29 million refugees, the strategic objectives of the 2025 response will center on four key areas:
1. Protecting people:
Protection is central to the 3RP response. Partners will continue safeguarding refugees and vulnerable host community members from exploitation, abuse, violence, and psychosocial distress, while supporting survivors. Partners will ensure access to legal aid and documentation, helping refugees lead dignified lives and access basic services. In addition, strengthening gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, mitigation, and response, increasing the scale and scope of specialized child protection services, and expanding community protection and refugee-host community cohesion will remain priorities. Recent reports highlight the urgent need for targeted protection interventions, particularly to address the rising incidents of child labor and early marriages in Lebanon and Jordan, as well as protection challenges for women and children in Türkiye and Egypt.
2. Promoting durable solutions:
Aligned with international standards and frameworks, the 3RP works towards achieving durable solutions. It emphasizes expanding complementary pathways, resettlement opportunities, and supporting voluntary, safe, and dignified returns, ensuring that refugees can make informed and voluntary decisions. 3RP partners also commit to enhancing the inclusion of refugees in third-country development planning and programming. In 2025, maintaining and expanding resettlement quotas and complementary pathways–such as family reunification, labor mobility schemes and high education scholarships–will be crucial. Ensuring refugees have access to reliable information to make independent, informed decisions on return will also remain a priority.
Egypt
Reem, a Syrian refugee and mother of seven, holds her baby girl, Jury. Reem fled to Egypt with her family in 2016. Once dreaming of becoming a lawyer in Syria, she was unable to complete her education but has been volunteering with local NGOs since 2020, offering advice and support to other refugees.
UNHCR/Pedro Costa Gomes3. Contributing to dignified lives:
3RP partners are committed to assisting refugees and host communities access essential services like healthcare and education, ensuring food security, and providing sustainable, decent livelihood opportunities to promote self-reliance. The response also aims to enhance housing standards for the most affected communities, boost learning and employability skills, and advocate for their inclusion in national social protection initiatives. Recent assessments show a sharp decline in food security, especially in Jordan's refugee camps, underscoring the need for additional support. Similarly, expanded employment programmes for refugees and vulnerable host communities, along with targeted support for women’s economic participation will be needed given the high unemployment rates across 3RP countries.
4. Enhancing local and national capacities:
Enhancing access to sustainable services for refugees and vulnerable host community members, while strengthening social cohesion, requires robust support for national and local capacities. In line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the SDGs, 3RP partners will advance localization by empowering local and national authorities, fostering community ownership, supporting local entities such as civil society organizations, and strengthening partnerships with the private sector. Addressing the ongoing socio-economic challenges in 3RP countries will also demand closer collaboration with development actors to support local authorities and community groups, ensuring refugees and host communities can access basic services and economic opportunities.
Jordan
Rania, a 17-year-old refugee student in Zaatari camp, rejoices with her father after scoring 83.8 on her high school exams. "Despite all of the hardships and obstacles, I got 83.80 out of 100. I thank everyone who contributed to my success: my supportive family, teachers, and friends.” Rania dreams of earning a scholarship to study media and journalism.
UNHCR/Shawkat AlharfoushWith about 250 partners across 3RP countries supporting government-led efforts to assist refugees and vulnerable host community members, the 3RP’s long-term, solutions-oriented response is guided by the One Refugee approach, the GCR and the 2030 Agenda. Notably, Iraq has transitioned out of the 3RP by promoting refugee inclusion into public services and shifting towards resilience-strengthening programmes. This transition is coordinated under the UNSDCF, aiming to advance refugee inclusion through the Leave No One Behind agenda and fully operationalize the humanitarian-development nexus within the refugee response.
Cross-cutting issues:
Disability, inclusion, accountability to affected people, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, remain crucial elements of the 3RP response. Guided by the principles of Leave No One Behind and Resilience for All, the 3RP continues to target the most vulnerable, while addressing intersecting inequalities that limit access to services and opportunities and strengthening institutions to provide quality responses. Recent reports highlight growing disparities among refugee populations, especially among women, children, and people with disabilities, who face heightened protection risks, including gender-based violence, child labor, and exploitation.
The outlook for 2025 remains deeply concerning given the high uncertainties surrounding a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis, the growing number of conflicts in the region, limited multi-year funding, and declining humanitarian and resilience support for the Syria situation. Underfunding poses significant risks for refugee-hosting countries like Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, where rising needs and worsening socio-economic conditions threaten to overwhelm public services and heighten social tensions. To prevent these outcomes, increased multi-year funding and sustained international support are essential to ensure to maintain essential services–healthcare, education, food assistance, livelihoods support, and shelter–for those most in need.
Türkiye
Ru’ya, an initiative by Takaful Al Sham Charity, empowers Syrian IDP and refugee adolescents through programs on personal growth, career development, and community engagement. Over the last five years, it has equipped more than 2,000 young people in Syria and Türkiye to lead positive change for Syria’s future.
Takaful Al Sham CharityRefugees from Lebanon arriving in Iraq
UNHCR is coordinating the response for some 35,000 refugees from Lebanon who have arrived in Iraq since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon through various points, including the Al-Qaim border crossing and airports in Baghdad and Najaf. A total of 418 households have also contacted UNHCR online, identifying themselves as Syrian refugees who have arrived in Iraq after fleeing Lebanon and requesting to be registered. Most refugees from Lebanon are hosted in Karbala and Najaf, while the remaining are spread across different governorates in central and southern Iraq, including Baghdad and Diyala.
In response to the urgent protection needs of refugees from Lebanon, UNHCR, in collaboration with existing partners in Federal Iraq, is providing child protection, gender-based violence (GBV) support, and mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS) to individuals seeking assistance at community centers. UNHCR also continues to provide information to refugees from Lebanon on how they can access national services such as education and healthcare. Through its partners, the Legal Clinics Network (LCN), Terre des Hommes (TdH), and Intersos, UNHCR is also present in Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad, Ninewa, Babil, and other governorates, maintaining contact with local authorities to gather information on the arrival of refugees from Lebanon in these areas.
2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights
Expanding efforts to nurture community protection and refugee-host community cohesion
517,577 individuals engaged in, or benefited from the services through community outreach mechanisms, or community-led initiatives
GBV is prevented and the risk of its occurrence mitigated
39,451 individuals received Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response services
Access to quality health care services for refugees and host communities has been enhanced
1,108,521 consultations provided through primary health care services
Maximizing resettlement opportunities for those most in need
10,605 refugees benefitted from resettlement from a range of states (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Türkiye)
Response capacities of national public institutions strengthened
5,962 staff of national public institutions, including front line workers such as nurses and teachers were trained
Data covers 01 January up to 30 June 2024
Türkiye | Cash-based interventions
Basic needs supported through the delivery of monthly cash assistance to 1.5 million refugees (over 327,000 households) by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and Turkish Red Crescent outside of the 3RP appeal. 12,866 individuals received shelter support.
Jordan | Legal support & protection
Legal support was provided to nearly 47,000 refugees, and over 22,000 survivors of GBV received counseling and support.
Lebanon | Health
over 1.6 million primary healthcare consultations provided to vulnerable Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and migrants through 150 primary healthcare centers within the Ministry of Public Health network. 200,000 consultations provided through mobile medical units in hard-to-reach areas and collective shelters housing IDPs who have been affected by escalating hostilities in Lebanon.
Egypt | Child protection
37,856 children and caregivers received Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services through child-friendly spaces and family clubs across eight governorates.
Consequences of inaction
Türkiye
Underfunding, registration challenges and the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes, along with ongoing global and local economic challenges, have limited vulnerable refugees’ and host communities’ access to basic services, leaving hundreds of thousands unable to cover their basic needs without cash assistance, and thousands without essential protection services.
Jordan
With diminishing humanitarian support, essential services like healthcare, food, and cash assistance are being scaled back, forcing refugees to adopt harmful coping strategies.
Lebanon
The recent escalating hostilities and mass internal displacement have compounded the impact of the economic crisis and Syria situation on Lebanon. Many will be left without safe housing, face rising food insecurity, and have limited access to essential health services.
Egypt
In 2024, over 800,000 refugees were registered, with projections indicating this could exceed 1.6 million by 2025. Regulatory changes complicate refugees' legal status, restricting their access to essential services like healthcare and education.
References
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The Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) 2024 remains the primary planning framework in the country and is co-led with the Government. The LRP covers immediate and medium-term needs across all vulnerable population groups, including Lebanese, refugees and migrants, including through support to Lebanese institutions and public services amid the multi-faceted crisis. The Lebanon Flash Appeal is fully complementary to, and supportive of, the LRP. It enables partners to rapidly deliver principled and effective life-saving assistance and protection to one million Lebanese, Syrians, Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants. In the GHO, the 3RP Lebanon Chapter and the Lebanon Flash Appeal constitute the total requirements for Lebanon.
Syria (influx from Lebanon) numbers are persons, crossing into Syria from Lebanon through border crossing points, due to the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as outlined in the Inter-Agency Emergency Appeal (October 2024 to March 2025), and requirements linked to the response.
At the launch of GHO 2025, the 3RP includes planning figures from the Inter-Agency Emergency Appeal for the Influx from Lebanon to Syria, which was launched in October 2024 and runs until March 2025. The humanitarian components of this emergency appeal will be absorbed into the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria. These figures will therefore be superseded by the 2025 HRP, once completed, and all GHO data will then be updated accordingly. - IOM Mobility Snapshot - Round 61, 11 November 2024
- SARC Emergency Response for the influx from Lebanon to Syria; 5 November 2024
- Inter-Agency Emergency Appeal for the Influx from Lebanon to Syria, October 2024 to March 2025, 7 October 2024; Appeal: Lebanon, October - December 2024 (October 2024), 1 October 2024.
- VASyR 2023: Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, 10 June 2024; Lebanon Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024, 23 May 2024.
- JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024.
- IAPNA Round 8, 01 November 2024.
- JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024; VASyR 2023: Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, 10 June 2024.
- SARC Emergency Response for the influx from Lebanon to Syria; 5 November 2024
- JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024; VASyR 2023: Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, 10 June 2024; ; IAPNA Round 8, 01 November 2024.
- JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024.
- 2024 3RP Egypt Country Chapter; 3RP Türkiye Country Chapter 2023 - 2025, July 2024; VASyR 2023: Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, 10 June 2024.
- JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024; VASyR 2023: Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, 10 June 2024; ; IAPNA Round 8, 01 November 2024.
- 3RP Türkiye Country Chapter 2023 - 2025, July 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Camps, 3 June 2024; JORDAN: 2024 VAF Socio-Economic Survey on Refugees in Host Communities, 3 June 2024; https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/vasyr-2023-vulnerability-assessment-syrian-refugees-lebanon 10 June 2024; 2024 3RP Egypt Country Chapter.