Syrian Arab Republic

  • Humanitarian Response Priorities
  • From: 01/01/2025 to: 31/12/2025
  • Published: 28/01/2025
  • Coordinated by: OCHA

Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Response Priorities – January-December 2025 / Part 3 : Sector needs and response

3.1 Protection

People in need
16.3 million
People Targeted
6.5 million
Requirements
US$ 253.7 million

General Protection

People in need
9.7 million
People targeted
1.1 million
Requirements (US$)
$42.8 million

Sectoral impact:

The Syria situation continues to generate protection risks. Despite a number of positive developments, civilian populations have continued to face violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) as well as limitations on freedom of movement. Following the December 2024 events, criminality has been on the rise in a number of urban areas with notable increases in criminal incidents, kidnappings, and property-related tensions in return areas whilst the general security situation across several parts of the country remains precarious.

Continued conflict or natural disaster risks are likely to continue to generate displacement in parts of the country, whilst many IDPs are expected to continue to face various barriers to return or reintegration and are likely to remain in situations of displacement (including in camps).

Displacement patterns remain cyclical. Although spontaneous and organized returns are observed including from Lebanon, Turkey, and other parts of Syria many IDPs face barriers to reintegration due to secondary occupation, property destruction, lack of civil documentation, and insufficient legal recourse. A significant number of community centers and legal aid services have closed due to recent funding cuts, further restricting returnees' ability to access protection support.

Access to legal services will remain constrained until the justice system is strengthened, including introduction of mechanisms for discerning fraudulent documentation. Practical barriers to accessing documentation persist, including high costs, inconsistent enforcement of procedures, and suspensions of complaint mechanisms in certain governorates. At the same time, recent destruction and looting of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) and civil documentation records have affected the functionality of courts and civil registries and therefore limited access to critical legal services.

Lack of civil documentation, including linked to establishing HLP rights, remains prevalent and needs are likely to increase as more Syrians seek to return home, requiring proof of HLP rights through documentation, as reconstruction efforts commence. If HLP issues are not integrated within the response, HLP rights violations including secondary occupation, confiscation, evictions, and looting are likely to be legitimized by humanitarian reconstruction efforts.

The precarious economic situation and constrained social services exacerbate protection risks, including for ethnic minorities, refugees, persons with disabilities, elderly, adolescent boys and girls, persons without civil documentation, widows, and single-headed households. Many areas of return lack basic infrastructure and services, heightening risk of exploitation or abuse and the resort to harmful coping mechanisms.

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs are rising across the country, particularly in areas affected by recent displacement, such as the coastal regions and Deir- ez-Zor. There is a critical shortage of trained MHPSS professionals, and service availability remains inconsistent, particularly in return areas and hard-to-reach locations.

Immediate needs:

  • Provision of information on access to protection services and awareness-raising on a range of protection topics, particularly for newly displaced or returned populations.
  • Mitigating protection risks for particularly vulnerable groups or those at heightened risk, including people with specific needs. There may also be specific protection needs for those newly displaced, who live in camps or temporary shelters, or those returning to areas where they lack social connections.
  • Support for access to civil documentation for displaced or vulnerable populations and for IDP/refugee returnees, as well as access to HLP and legal information, counselling and services.
  • Provision of MHPSS will remain a critical need for significant sections of the civilian population after cyclical or long-term displacement, exposure to violence, family separation and other violations.
  • Extending protection services to newly returned or displaced populations including in hard-to-reach areas.
  • Protection monitoring (including in the context of returns), needs assessments, and analysis should be enhanced as new patterns of risk may emerge, to act as early warning and as populations continue to move/return.
  • Increased support for eviction monitoring and mediation services in return contexts.
  • Housing, land and property issues will become critical in the context of increased returns, shelter rehabilitation, and future reconstruction. Issues will include damaged and destroyed land and property, secondary occupation, land confiscation, ownership disputes and use of resources, evictions, inheritance, limited access to HLP documents. Thus, tailored HLP responses including HLP and civil documentation legal assistance will become essential.
  • Building the capacity of newly established authorities on core protection principles and standards of protection work, the IDP guiding principles.
  • Supporting social cohesion and communities’ capacities on peaceful resolution of conflict, mediation and arbitration particularly in areas of return.
  • Provision of support and referrals of ex-detainee cases to expert protection and inter-agency partners to provide wholistic support to the need of this population group.

Priority activities:

  • Maintain and strengthen community-based centres and facilities providing protection services, information on services and as a hub for the community. Mobile approaches will remain critical particularly as populations return to hard-to-reach or previously inaccessible areas.
  • Provision of information on rights, entitlements, services and awareness-raising on protection issues.
  • Support early recovery through individual protection assistance, including financial and in-kind support to vulnerable individuals
  • Improve service mapping and strengthen referral pathways, particularly for high-risk cases, in coordination with AoRs and inter-sectoral partners.
  • Provision of legal counselling and assistance on access to HLP and civil documentation as well as context and returns-driven HLP responses. These will include carrying out HLP Due Diligence prior to all humanitarian interventions affecting HLP assets, Eviction monitoring and tracking, Collaborative Dispute Resolution (CDR), HLP documentation safeguarding, and documenting HLP rights violations to address issues of secondary occupation, destruction and eviction. This will become increasingly critical as more people will be returning and seeking access to their properties.
  • Strengthen coordination amongst protection actors including at sub-national level to identify needs and trends and analyze the protection environment and affected populations, strengthening services mapping and strengthening referral mechanisms within and between hubs.
  • Engage local authorities and communities on humanitarian, protection, and durable solutions principles.

Response strategy:

  • The Protection Sector will continue to operate through a network of static facilities while working to expand the delivery of integrated protection services. Response modalities will remain flexible and adaptable to evolving needs and local contexts, with particular emphasis on reaching newly displaced and returnee populations including through mobile teams.
  • The Sector seeks to work with and alongside communities and relies on community-based approaches including a large network of community volunteers. The Sector aims to expand outreach protection activities in communities, including areas of new return and to ensure (continued) provision of protection services in IDP sites or newly accessible areas.
  • To foster resilience and social cohesion, the Sector will support community-led initiatives and contribute to safe, voluntary, and dignified solutions to displacement. This includes aligning with the early recovery approach adopted by the humanitarian community and supporting protection integration across sectors.
  • Individual protection assistance will be strengthened through preventive and responsive in-kind or financial support to households and individuals at risk particularly those affected by hostilities and displacement, including in collective sites and informal settlements.
  • The Sector aims to engage in evidence-based advocacy with all stakeholders, notably national and local authorities, to draw attention to protection issues, inform the response, and enhance the protective environment. To support this, the Sector will seek to harmonize and strengthen protection monitoring systems, data collection and analysis at national level, and seek to adjust coordination capacities as the operational environment continues to evolve.
  • Monitor and address emerging protection risks among IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

Mine Action AoR

People in need
15.4 million
People targeted
1.4 million
Requirements (US$)
$67.2 million

Sectoral impact:

Years of conflict, coupled with reduced possibilities to address EO contamination have put 15.4 million Syrians at immediate risk from injury and death. EO contamination adversely impacts different population groups in Syria. More than 80 per cent of all victims are male, indicating an interconnection between the deteriorating economic situation, increased need to pursue alternative livelihood possibilities and incidents involving EO hazards.

Developments that unfolded in December 2024 have led Syrians to travel across former front lines to visit homes they were once forced to abandon. Large population movements coupled with return to cultivation of agricultural land for livelihoods have increased the risk of injury and death, with 75 EO incidents recorded in December 2024 alone, resulting in at least 64 deaths (about half of whom were children) and 105 injuries. Casualties have been consistently rising over the first months in 2025, particularly in areas where conflict intensity was high, and where access for humanitarian partners was limited, most notably in Menbij, Ein al Arab/Kobani, Ras il Ain, Tel Abiad and the Deir-ez-Zor governorate.

With the retreat of Syrian army, scores of military installations and weapon storages with unused munitions have been abandoned and left unguarded, posing a threat to civilians and increasing the risk from death and injury. Children remain particularly vulnerable especially in places where such installations are located in proximity to civilian infrastructure, as they are attracted to shiny and unusually-shaped objects.

For years, EO contamination has been a key impediment to accessing economic opportunities, arable land, water sources and essential services to name the few. Any future plans will have to include extensive mine action interventions, with survey and clearance remaining among the top priorities.

Significant disruptions in access to emergency medical care and rehabilitation services have lessened the ability of EO victims to receive treatment and specialized victim assistance (VA). Cuts in humanitarian aid have particularly impacted access to VA services, hindering partners in their efforts to deliver lifesaving trauma care, and provide physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support. Furthermore, access to trauma and emergency care for teams implementing lifesaving non-technical survey and clearance interventions remains one of the impediments for partners to be able to scale up response.

Recurrence of conflict activities and access constraints significantly impact the ability to implement activities, which include disruptions to the delivery of urgently needed explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) sessions, emergency marking and disposal of EO items, and assistance to EO victims.

EORE empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills to identify, avoid, and report dangers, thus preventing injuries and fatalities. It improves economic recovery efforts by helping communities safely return to their homes and livelihoods, enabling them to rebuild their lives and contribute to the economic recovery process. It can also lower restrictions in humanitarian access to the populations in need by creating safer pathways for aid delivery.

Immediate needs:

  • Urgent scale up of EORE for affected populations as a key preventive activity, especially for IDPs and children, as well as dedicated EORE sessions for humanitarian aid workers serving the affected areas.
  • A Syria-wide non-technical survey to identify EO contamination, and clearance of EO items contaminating critical infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, water and electricity installations, remains a key priority for the sector.
  • Unimpeded access to emergency medical care for EO victims, as well as continued access to psychosocial support and physical rehabilitation sessions will be key for survivors to be able to adapt to new realities in the short term and actively participate in the society in the long term.

Priority activities:

  • Direct and digital EORE sessions for Syrians, including wide distribution of EORE materials, with a specific focus on people intending to cross former front lines and populations living in areas heavily impacted by the conflict. Additionally, dedicated sessions for humanitarian aid workers implementing activities across Syria remains essential for safe delivery of services.
  • A scale-up of non-technical survey activities to identify and mark EO contamination and (emergency) clearance of EO items, with a specific focus on critical infrastructure, especially main roads and bridges and water and electricity installations, as well as critical infrastructure in urban settings such as hospitals, schools and community centres.
  • Victim assistance, especially emergency medical services, psychosocial support, provision of prosthetics and orthotics and related physical rehabilitation services.
  • Data collection on contaminated areas, incidents and impact of incidents on individuals.

Response Strategy

Mine action remains the key enabler for other activities, most notably WASH, FSL, health, education, etc. The AoR coordinates with other sectors to provide support, consultations and EORE sessions for humanitarian aid workers accessing communities in Syria. Due to the nature of MA, sector activities will be delivered primarily through direct implementation. This includes referrals for specialized medical services to relevant partners from other sectors. The sector plans to:

  • Implement explosive ordnance risk education activities through EORE working group to be able to increase knowledge about EO risks, prioritize needs in high-risk areas and enhance reach among the population most at risk.
  • By activating the survey and clearance working group, the sector will be able to map out partners’ capacities and deploy clearance teams in areas prioritised through survey. The focus will remain on reducing EO threats on critical infrastructure to enable safer movement of people and better access to services.
  • Respond to the urgent needs of EO accident victims and the affected communities through an active Victim Assistance working group that will ensure better access to EO victims, coordinate with other sectors for smoother facilitation of referrals between services and ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities in response.
  • An active and robust MA information management working group will plan and roll out Syria-wide non-technical survey and standardize data collection in adherence with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), all to inform clearance priorities in the period ahead.

Gender-Based Violence AoR

People in need
8.5 million
People targeted
1.6 million
Requirements (US$)
$64.1 million

Sectoral impact:

  • Approximately 93 per cent of the about 8.5 million people requiring GBV assistance are women and girls. Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, economic and emotional violence as well as sexual violence, including rape and sexual harassment, continue to be of concern. Women and girls also report that sexual exploitation remains a worrying trend, including online, because of the poor economic situation and the use of social media.
  • The changes in the political environment and the continuous security instability in certain areas of the country have disproportionately impacted women and girls and have increased their risk of being exposed to GBV. This is compounded by the economic crisis, forced and voluntary returns, limited access to essential goods, basic services, and opportunities, multiple displacements, overcrowding and poor living conditions in camps and temporary shelters, including displacement and return settings.
  • The suspension and/or closure of Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) and other service delivery points reduces the availability of and accessibility to life-saving GBV services. This leads to an increase in feelings of insecurity and isolation and a reduced space to disclose violence and seek support for women and girls who are surviving GBV.
  • The reduction of GBV life-saving services has a direct negative impact on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of women and girls and is eroding women and girls’ resilience. This leads to increased reliance on negative coping mechanisms and a rise in reported cases of severe self-harm, including suicide attempts.
  • The cuts in humanitarian aid since the beginning of the year have particularly impacted access to GBV services for women and girls, hindering partners’ capacity to deliver lifesaving services and overcrowding service delivery points that remain operational.
  • Humanitarian service delivery points and distribution areas are identified by communities and GBV experts as locations where GBV occurs. Even though GBV may take place in or out of camps, overcrowded settings increase the exposure to GBV. Collective shelters and crowded distribution points entail safety risks for women and girls. The risks are exacerbated when the design of the assistance does not include GBV risk mitigation measures tailored to each sector intervention as for example lack of well-lit and segregated WASH facilities, gender separation during distributions, privacy for women and girls in collective shelters, or availability of female staff (trained in SEA and GBV basics) during distributions or activities with the community.

Immediate needs:

  • Increased access to life-saving GBV services for women and girls at risk and GBV survivors, in particular those that are displaced, live in camps or temporary shelters or are moving to areas where they have lost social connections. Women and girls in Syria continue to feel that nowhere is safe for them and that they are increasingly subjected to various types of GBV, severe restrictions of movement, and denial of opportunities, rights, and services.
  • Safety concerns persist in certain areas of the country, resulting in movement restrictions being imposed on girls and women, especially at night, limiting their freedoms and capacity to access lifesaving services.
  • Overcrowding in shelters and temporary centres is increasing GBV risks for women and girls, while the water shortage in some areas and lack of safe WASH facilities increases exposure to abuse and exploitation and makes it difficult for women and girls to meet their menstrual hygiene needs.
  • The worsening economic situation increases tension within households, exacerbating risks of intimate partner violence.
  • An alarming shift in socio-cultural attitudes toward women and girls could negatively impact women’s empowerment and participation in the public sphere.
  • Dignity kits and menstrual hygiene supplies are depleted and require urgent replenishment.

Priority activities:

  • The GBV AoR aims to support 1.5 million people with GBV services, 93 per cent of whom are women and girls.
  • Women and girls- including adolescent girls, women and girls who are widowed, divorced, single, displaced and with disabilities-who are at risk of or have experienced GBV, will have access to age, gender and disability-sensitive life-saving GBV services, including case management, psychosocial support, clinical management of rape and referrals to other specialized services. Continue to coordinate the regular distribution of dignity kits to women and girls, based on identified needs, and implement CVA as a complementary modality of support for survivors and women and girls at risk.
  • Enhance monitoring and tracking of existing WGSS and of those that are at risk of closing or have closed due to funding reasons, in an effort not to leave women and girls at risk and survivors of GBV without access to life-saving GBV services. This will be complemented with renewed efforts to ensure availability and quality of referral options.
  • Strategically and regularly tackle harmful gender roles and power dynamics that are root causes of GBV by working with communities, including men and boys, and promoting GBV prevention activities, aiming for behavioural and social norms change in the long term.
  • Continue the capacity-development of service providers on life-saving GBV case management and psychosocial support and on clinical management of rape (CMR).

  • Continue to advocate with and provide technical support for other sectors, to enhance efforts to mitigate GBV risks in the provision of humanitarian services.

Response Strategy:

  • The GBV AoR will use multiple modalities of service delivery, including static, mobile or integrated, with GBV services provided through other sectors' facilities and programming. This will increase the reach of people in need of GBV services and will enhance opportunities to access GBV lifesaving services, adapted to specific, evolving needs. Cash in GBV Case Management is an additional tool/service which aims to mitigate GBV risks and facilitate timely access to life-saving assistance.
  • As part of GBV mitigation measures, the GBV AoR prioritizes the regular distribution of Dignity Kits to support women and girls’ dignity, movement and access to services and opportunities. CVA to provide access to dignity items should also be considered.
  • The GBV AoR will support accountability measures and the enhancement of client feedback mechanisms at WGSS and at other service delivery points. The GBV AoR will also organize training of GBV staff on better monitoring of GBV service quality, including client satisfaction.
  • GBV actors will also be supported to organize post distribution monitoring of dignity kits and use of regular safety audits to measure access and effectiveness of the GBV AoR interventions.
  • The GBV AoR aims to scale up coordination capacity at subnational level, which will contribute to quality monitoring and adaptation of interventions.

Child Protection AoR

People in need
6.7 million
People targeted
2.5 million
Requirements (US$)
$79.7 million

Sectoral impact:

Syria has 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian support, of which 6.7 million children need child protection services in 2025. The Child Protection AoR will target 2.5 million children across Syria, who are exposed to multiple child protection risks, including those with disabilities who face heightened risks of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation and need critical child protection services. Grave violations against children, including the risk of being killed, injured, used in hostilities, tortured, detained, abducted, and abused remain a significant concern with reportedly over 9,500 recruited by armed groups since 2011, while child casualties verified by 2023 stands at 454.

Forceful family separation through arbitrary processes exposes children to further risks in Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa, and Deir-ez-Zor where over 22,000 children have been deprived of liberty. Insecurity and economic hardship continue to exacerbate child protection concerns including through negative copying mechanisms such as child marriage which was reported as a main concern by 71 per cent.

A rise in violence against boys aged between 1-14 years in the form of violent disciplinary actions taken at home- reported by 90 per cent of communities is of great concern. Additionally, high levels of psychosocial distress have been assessed among children and caregivers due to multiple stress factors including the effects of conflict, poverty and aftereffects of the 2023 earthquake, with at least 60 per cent of women, 61.5 per cent of men, 34 per cent of girls and 31 per cent of boys reporting high levels of stress. Further, children continue to be disproportionally impacted by the explosive munitions. According to the latest MA AoR’s latest reports, between 8 December 2024 and 30 April 2025, children accounted for 311 of the 913 reported casualties-89 children were killed and 222 injured.

Limited access to basic services continues to significantly affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of children and caregivers. The gaps in service delivery have become wider, due to funding cuts for child protection programmes, de-prioritization, and limited appreciation of early investments in this specialized area have left so many children on streets begging and exposed to trafficking for girls across the borders. Ongoing sporadic clashes between the transition government and other fractions most recently in the coastal and southern areas have resulted in the continued displacement of people and children further exposed to the risks above. Children on the move and demographic shifts impact on the most vulnerable in this period including families and communities’ ability to protect their own children

Immediate needs:

  • MHPSS for children and caregivers, including children recently released from detention, children affected by the trauma of living in a contaminated environment, children returning to areas of origin as well as children displaced multiple times.
  • Social and economic community reintegration needs for children. This includes reintegration programs for children formerly in detention, those formerly associated with armed groups and forces and returnees/ new arrivals
  • Case management support, to respond to victims of abuse, recruitment, violence and neglect, as well as for family tracing and reunification and alternative care.
  • Legal aid/Justice for children, including children in detention, children deprived from liberty and those in contact with the law, deliberate efforts to ensure children have access to birth certificates
  • Adequate child protection capacity for child protection partners and government staff is needed at all levels
  • Measures to address all forms of abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation across Syria, including PSEA, GBV, social norms amongst others, through community engagement and awareness raising on thematic topics unique to each location.

Priority activities:

  • Provide age-and gender-appropriate child protection services for children who have experienced or are at risk of abuse, exploitation, or neglect. This includes MHPSS, positive parenting and case management.
  • Mentorship and capacity-building to strengthen information management (IM) systems, CP Situation Monitoring and CP thematic technical areas
  • Raise awareness about child protection issues to address behavioral, social, and cultural norms that affect children negatively as a prevention approach.
  • Engage communities in child protection efforts by creating safe environments for children, adolescents and encouraging community members to report concerns and scale up advocacy initiatives.

Child protection response strategy:

  • The sectoral strategy includes community participation, strengthening of community-based child protection structures, training and capacity development for frontline child protection responders and government. The child protection work streams will aim to strengthen advocacy for the protection of children, enhance monitoring and evidence generation and work with other sectors to mainstream child protection and strengthen referral mechanisms, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of services.

References

  1. OCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, February 2024. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syrian-arab-republic-2024-humanitarian-needs-overview-february-2024-enar
  2. Former Syrian Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro-government militias, Da’esh, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) / always referred as SDF, the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) including Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam.
  3. Explosive ordnance contamination remains the main safety risk for Syrians – Syria MA AoR Situation Update No.3 (April) - Syrian Arab Republic.
  4. Protection Landscape Syria, March 2025