• Syria
• Refugee
• Relief

It has been almost 14 years since Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011. On 8 December 2024, the long-standing regime in Syria was overthrown, bringing an enormous impact to the war-torn country, as well as escalated humanitarian needs.

The new round of armed conflict since late November 2024 has led to hundreds of civilian casualties. The UN also estimates that approximately 1 million people have been displaced within the country. Currently in Syria, over 16.7 million people, nearly 70% of the total population of 24.3 million, are in need of humanitarian aid.

The prolonged conflict and constantly evolving situation has made people pay a painful price: losing loved ones, being forced to flee home, losing work or education opportunities, suffering physical or mental traumas, with some even having to experience natural disasters such as earthquakes and snowstorms. Currently, over 12 million Syrians are either displaced within the country or living as refugees abroad.

The UN also reports families sheltering in overcrowded camps, with limited access to food, public services and other basic supplies as winter approaches, creating immense needs for humanitarian assistance. Infrastructures, such as hospitals, schools and water supply systems, were also severely damaged or destroyed in the conflict, further exacerbating the humanitarian needs.

The UN Human Rights Office had once estimated that more than 300,000 civilians had been killed over 10 years of war. Apart from producing high casualties and displacement, the war has brought massive destruction to the country and deprived an entire generation of Syrian children of their childhood. Millions of children who were born straight into the thick of conflict are losing access to education and healthcare, as well as suffering psychosocial effects. They need ongoing support in order to recover and regain courage to face the future.

Now, after almost 14 years of war…

• 7.2 million people have been displaced inside Syria
• More than 4.8 million people have sought refuge in other countries
• 16.7 million people, an all-time high since the outbreak of the war, are in need of humanitarian assistance, nearly half of them are children
• Over 12.9 million people are facing hunger and more than 3.7 million children are in need of nutrition support
• 90% of the Syrian population is currently living below the poverty line
• With one in every three schools across Syria destroyed, damaged or used for military purposes, 2.45 million children in Syria are out of school
• Almost 40% of the hospitals and health centres across Syria have been damaged, meaning that they are either completely out-of-service, or partially functional
• 1 in 10 people in Syria is living with a mild to moderate mental health condition, 1 in 30 is likely suffering from a more severe condition

In North West Syria, these displaced Syrian children are playing with rocks near the basic tents where they stay.

Displaced Syrians in North West Syria are relying on humanitarian assistance to survive the wet and cold winter.

World Vision's Response

World Vision has been actively responding to the protracted crisis in and around Syria. In 2024 alone, our work has reached over 5.4 million people, over half of them are children. In view of the most recent escalation, we are conducting further assessment on the ground, in order to address the most urgent needs of the affected children and families. Our response work includes the following sectors:

• Emergency support: Urgent provision of food, clean water, and sanitation services to fulfill the basic needs of affected families and protect their health


• Education and child protection: Support rehabilitation of schools so that children can resume their education, acquiring knowledge and life skills; provide educational materials and resources to displaced children offering them continuity in learning; support children and youth living in refugee camps with opportunities to learn, build up their life skills and receive psychosocial support; work with schools, parents and leaders to promote child protection; establish safe spaces for children and women so they can feel safe and receive psychological and peer support


• Food, cash and livelihood: Provide cash allowance, food vouchers and food commodities to families in need; support young and unemployed people to increase their resilience by providing training on job skills; support families on small business development; recruit incentive-based volunteers to collect, sort and recycle garbage and carry out other works in refugee camps


• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH): Distribute hygiene kits and encourage families to maintain personal hygiene to reduce risk of diseases; provide drainage, infrastructure and water-trucking services


• Winter and household supplies: Distribute items like tents, blankets, stoves and gas cylinders for families to meet their particular needs for winter


• Physical and mental Health: Support the reopening and operation of healthcare facilities, including provision of medical supplies and support to medical personnel; enable access to mental health and psychosocial support services for affected populations, especially children

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