Syrian Arab Republic

People in Need
16.7 million
People Targeted
10.8 million
Requirements (US$)
$4.1 billion
Total population
24.3 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
2012 - 2025

Crisis overview

The protracted crisis in Syria—driven by ongoing hostilities, economic instability, and prolonged environmental shocks—continues to take a heavy toll, with 16.7 million people identified as needing assistance in 2024. As of 25 November 2024, the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is only 29 per cent funded, with just $1.2 billion raised out of the $4.07 billion required to deliver essential aid to the 10.8 million people targeted by the HRP. These 2024 figures also serve as projections for 2025, as planning remains underway. The funding gap in the current HRP threatens the delivery of vital services, including protection, food, shelter, and healthcare for Syria’s most vulnerable populations.

Throughout 2024, waves of hostilities, particularly in Syria’s northwestern and northeastern regions, caused civilian casualties and new displacement. Attacks on critical infrastructure—including electricity stations, gas and fuel plants, medical facilities, farmland, and major access routes—continue to disrupt essential services, impacting access to water, electricity, and healthcare. These disruptions are driving further displacement of civilians, particularly along frontlines in Idlib. In Deir-ez-Zor Governorate, especially in areas east of the Euphrates River, access remains particularly challenging due to complex local political and military dynamics.

Regional conflicts have increasingly impacted Syria. Hostilities in Lebanon since September 2024 have displaced approximately 528,000 people—65 per cent Syrians and 35 per cent Lebanese or other nationals—forcing them into Syria. This influx, including over 100,000 arrivals in north-east Syria and 7,800 in north-west Syria, has intensified the demands on an already fragile humanitarian situation, straining Syria's limited resources and placing additional pressure on essential services.

Aid in Action

Voices of resilience: Fatima's fight for dignified shelter in north-west Syria 

Syrian Arab Republic
North-west Syria, Syrian Arab Republic
60-year-old grandmother Fatima with her granddaughter, beside her old tent in IDP site in north-west Syria.

Fatima, a 60-year-old grandmother, was forced to flee her home in Ma'arrat al-Nu'man in Idlib due to ongoing conflict. She and her grandchildren found refuge in the IDP site in north-west Syria but faced daily challenges with few resources. Fatima had particular concerns about their inadequate shelter which offered little protection against harsh weather—a sentiment echoed by nearly 70 per cent of the 4,000 complaints received by the interagency hotline, SafeLine.

To address these issues, SafeLine provided a platform for Fatima and others to voice their experiences. At a community-led validation session, Fatima and other residents were able to engage directly with the Shelter Cluster Coordinator and explain their challenges. For many, this was their first opportunity to participate in decisions which directly impacted their lives.

As a result, the Dignified Shelter Guidance was tailored to meet Fatima’s specific needs. Her new shelter, constructed with durable materials, provides better insulation and protection from the elements. The participatory approach not only enhanced living conditions but also empowered community members. By fostering trust and collaboration between humanitarian actors and affected people, it delivered meaningful and sustainable solutions.

Humanitarian access remains a significant challenge. The Access Severity Overview (March 2024), indicates very high access severity in five sub-districts, affecting 48,000 people in need, (1 per cent of the total). High severity was recorded in 69 sub-districts, impacting 2.1 million people, or 12% of people in need, while moderate access severity affected 129 sub-districts, representing 8.4 million people, or 50% of people in need.

Syria’s economic crisis—characterized by soaring inflation, currency devaluation, and rising commodity prices—continues to drive needs across the country. Minimum wages cover only 20 per cent of a family’s basic food needs and just 10 per cent of essential household expenses, as measured by the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB). According to WFP market price monitoring, prices in July 2024 were 80 per cent higher than in July 2023. This economic hardship, combined with limited employment opportunities, is pushing more households into poverty and aid dependency. driving up response costs and complicating humanitarian efforts.

Syria’s vulnerability to climate-induced shocks is heightened by the long-lasting impacts of conflict and compounded water scarcity. The average Syrian has access to only 355 m³ of clean water per year. A 15 per cent rainfall deficit in 2023 further restricted water access for 8.5 million people, including 1.8 million already severely affected. Increasingly frequent climate anomalies—such as prolonged, extreme heatwaves and unpredictable cycles of drought and flooding—exacerbate Syria's water scarcity and pose serious risks to human, animal, and plant health. As these cascading climate events widen communal resilience gaps, Syrians are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with additional shocks.

Response priorities in 2025

The humanitarian community is developing the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), focusing on persistent drivers of need, including ongoing conflict, protection risks, socio-economic decline, environmental shocks, and the regional conflicts affecting Syria. The 2025 response will prioritize the most vulnerable populations, addressing urgent needs through expanded early recovery, livelihood support, and improved access to basic services, including investments in essential civilian infrastructure. However, anticipated funding shortages for 2025 risk worsening humanitarian conditions for millions. Ongoing hostilities are fueling a surge in displacement, impacting civilians and damaging critical infrastructure, thereby complicating the reach and effectiveness of humanitarian efforts.

Humanitarian partners will continue to implement lifesaving interventions addressing critical areas such as injuries and displacements due to hostilities, food insecurity, malnutrition, public health crises, trauma, climate-related risks, including water scarcity and the impact of extreme weather, as well as the recent acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera outbreak. The response also prioritizes protection risks exacerbated by conflict, such as gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, forced labor, family separation, and the extensive presence of explosive ordnance. From January to June 2024, partners reached an average of 4. million people monthly, just 41 per cent of the target population, underscoring the gap between needs and capacity.

To maximize impact with limited resources, the 2025 response will adopt a boundary-setting approach based on several key criteria. First, each sector will focus on essential interventions, defined as the most critical activities. Second, geographic severity will be considered, targeting populations in the highest-severity areas, particularly those classified as JIAF severity levels 4 and 5, and sub-districts at risk of escalation. Third, response reach will be analyzed in collaboration with implementing partners to identify underserved areas, response gaps, and sector capacity trends. Additionally, vulnerability criteria will be applied to focus on the most at-risk population groups, and seasonality of funding requirements will be considered for timely responses. Guided by Syria’s Strategic Steering Group, the 2025 approach will build upon and refine last year’s boundary-setting, with the HRP scheduled for government consultation in February.

Financial requirements

In 2024, the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Syria required $4.07 billion to assist 10.8 million of the 16.7 million people identified as in need. Planning for 2025 is underway, with similar figures expected. To enhance planning and response efficiency, the humanitarian community adopted a 'hybrid costing' methodology starting with the 2024 HRP, which directly links the number of people targeted to the financial requirements, followed by project registration. This methodology will be continued for 2025.

Resource limitations mean that many lifesaving programs may be scaled back or unable to fully meet the escalating needs, with significant consequences for protection and access to basic services. Of the 10.8 million individuals targeted in the 2024 HRP, 9.2 million were identified as "critical targets" in need of urgent, life-saving support. A similar number of critical targets is expected for 2025.

A declining global humanitarian budget, coupled with Syria’s diminishing visibility amidst other crises, compounds the challenge. The ongoing hostilities, regional spillover on Syria, economic pressures, and impacts of climate change are intensifying the crisis, demanding urgent financial attention to avert worsening conditions. Limited funds are not only affecting the reach of assistance but are also restricting humanitarian partners’ flexibility.

Additionally, funding shortfalls have meant humanitarian partners are now forced to reprogram or reallocate resources to meet emerging urgent humanitarian needs, leaving significant gaps elsewhere. Limited funding have hindered preparedness efforts for predictable emergencies including prepositioning essential emergency supplies.

Syrian Arab Republic

2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction

Response highlights

Humanitarian partners reached an average of 4.2 million people monthly across Syria.

Protection

As of August, nearly 2 million displaced people and members of host communities received protection services, including legal aid for 168,000 people.

Child protection

Over 824,000 children and caregivers received community-based child protection, psychosocial support, and parenting services, including child protection services for more than 36,000 children at risk of or exposed to violence.

Mine action

Over 4,400 mine action risk education sessions were held, benefiting over 400,000 people. Over 540 physical rehabilitation sessions were provided for victims.

Gender-based violence

Over 780,000 people were reached with gender-based violence services and 207,000 survivors and at-risk women and girls received support. Partners also distributed over 91,000 dignity kits.

Camp coordination and camp management (CCCM)

Camp coordination and camp management activities benefitted over 341,000 people.

Livelihood

Over 146,000 people gained access to livelihood and job opportunities, indirectly benefiting at least an additional 370,000 people.

Education

Education partners assisted over 795,000 children, teachers and education officials.

Food security

By August, some 926,000 people were reached with regular food assistance, representing only 12 percent of the target due to funding shortfalls. Around 217,000 households were reached with livelihood interventions.

Nutrition

Nutrition partners provided services for 1.1 million children under 5 and 1.1 million pregnant or lactating women.

Health

Health sector partners administered 19.6 million medical procedures and over 8 million medical treatment courses.

Shelter and NFI

Shelter and NFI partners reached over 605,000 people with essential shelter and 266,000 with core non-food items, while over 1.2 million received winter assistance.

Water, sanitation and hygiene

11 million people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene interventions—5.2 million with life-saving emergency services, and 4.8 million benefiting from water system repairs.

Cash assistance

Multi-purpose cash assistance reached over 1.3 million people with $65 million.

Consequences of inaction

Due to underfunding, more than 2 million fewer people were reached monthly compared to 2023.

Protection

Underfunding has forced additional prioritization of the protection response, with at-risk populations in hard-to-reach areas going without assistance. Reduced funding for housing, land and property has limited the ability to respond to eviction threats, documentation issues, and land disputes.

Case management

Children needing case management and mental health services remain underserved, raising risks of school dropout and child labour. Family separations are increasing as families seek safer environments.

Gender-based violence

Reduced funding for GBV programs has left more women and girls without essential support, including access to safe spaces for women and girls.

Mine action

Inadequate funding for mine action leaves millions at risk from explosive ordnance, risking children, farmers, and displaced individuals, while limiting safety, recovery, and access to infrastructure.

Shelter

Some 730,000 IDPs in north-west Syria continue living in inadequate tents. Only 10 per cent of the winterization budget has been secured, creating a critical gap to address the needs of 1.4 million people in 1,152 IDP sites.

Livelihood

Access and resource constraints prevented early recovery and livelihoods partners from reaching many communities, limiting services, livelihood and social cohesion support.

Education

Inadequate funding will push more children out of school, when already 2.45 million do not attend.

Food assistance

Food assistance is being provided to only one third of the most severely food insecure, while 12.9 million people, over 60 per cent of the population remains food insecure

Health

Underfunding has forced more health facilities to close or scale back, with 24 per cent of primary healthcare facilities and 32 per cent of hospitals now non-functional. Without additional funds, half of all health facilities across north-west Syria will be non-operational by December 2024.

Water, sanitation and hygiene

Funding gaps have left 800,000 people without essential water, sanitation and hygiene items, and nearly 1 million without needed sanitation improvements.

Cash assistance

An estimated 2.4 million people lack multi-purpose cash assistance, driving up negative coping mechanisms.

Aid in Action

Shattered by war and earthquake: Alia’s story of survival

Syrian Arab Republic
Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic
Alia, a 40-year-old caregiver, has endured years of hardship, worsened by the February 2023 earthquake that devastated her home. Living in a single, safe room with her mother and mentally disabled brother, she struggles to make ends meet. Oxfam’s cash distribution program became a lifeline, enabling Alia to provide food and medicine for her family.

Oxfam's cash assistance helped us secure food, medicine, and materials for a few months.”

Alia, a 40-year-old caregiver, faced unimaginable challenges, struggling to make ends meet without a steady income. The February 2023 earthquake devastated her home, leaving her family with little more than insufficient meals of tomato paste and bread. Dinner became a rarity, and hunger took a toll on her mother’s health.

Years of war had already weakened their ageing house, but the earthquake caused it to crumble further. Alia, her mother, and her mentally disabled brother were squeezed into a single room, the only space still safe to use. “We use this room for everything: cooking, eating, sleeping, and washing,” she explained.

Alia and her family relied on her deceased father’s pension, but the earthquake intensified their hardship, piling new struggles and misery onto years of conflict. “We thought nothing could be worse than before, but now we miss those days.”

In their darkest hours, Oxfam’s cash distribution program provided a lifeline. The funds allowed Alia to prioritize essentials like food and medicine over home restoration. This critical support not only provided immediate relief but underscored the importance of people-centered support that addresses people’s immediate needs while helping them build resilience in the face of ongoing crises.

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