After more than a decade of brutal conflict – and a devastating earthquake in February 2023 – half the population of Syria are displaced from their homes and in urgent need of humanitarian aid. We’re one of the few agencies operating across the whole country. We work to provide emergency, transitional and longer-term assistance to help families recover from what they’ve been through.
NRC in Syria
What’s happening in Syria?
The war in Syria killed thousands of people, drove millions from their homes and had a profoundly destabilising impact on the wider geographical region. Although hostilities have now eased, the country still has the largest population of displaced people anywhere in the world – and has had the highest number of people in dire need since the start of the conflict in 2011.
Over the past few years, families in Syria have suffered droughts and water shortages, a scarcity of essential services such as electricity, and a substantial surge in living expenses. This has left many people unable to afford food and other basic essentials.
February 2023 brought yet more misery, when Syria and its neighbour Türkiye were hit by two massive earthquakes. Sixty thousand people were killed and millions were left homeless, including many who had previously been displaced by the conflict. These families now find themselves starting from scratch again and facing an ongoing struggle to get by.
In 2024, the growing crisis in Lebanon drove hundreds of thousands of people, including Syrians, to flee over the border into Syria – increasing the number of people in need even further.
Region: Middle East
Population: 24.3 million
Total displaced: 13.7 million
Total refugees hosted: 0.6 million
What’s happening in Syria?
The war in Syria killed thousands of people, drove millions from their homes and had a profoundly destabilising impact on the wider geographical region. Although hostilities have now eased, the country still has the largest population of displaced people anywhere in the world – and has had the highest number of people in dire need since the start of the conflict in 2011.
Over the past few years, families in Syria have suffered droughts and water shortages, a scarcity of essential services such as electricity, and a substantial surge in living expenses. This has left many people unable to afford food and other basic essentials.
February 2023 brought yet more misery, when Syria and its neighbour Türkiye were hit by two massive earthquakes. Sixty thousand people were killed and millions were left homeless, including many who had previously been displaced by the conflict. These families now find themselves starting from scratch again and facing an ongoing struggle to get by.
In 2024, the growing crisis in Lebanon drove hundreds of thousands of people, including Syrians, to flee over the border into Syria – increasing the number of people in need even further.
Our response
We’re working with our partners in the following areas:
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Water, sanitation and hygiene – rebuilding boreholes, water networks and sewage systems, as well as distributing soap, washing powder and sanitary items.
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Shelter and settlements – providing emergency shelter, repairing damaged homes, and distributing tents, blankets, warm clothing and essential household items.
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Livelihoods and food security – providing cash assistance to cover basic essentials, helping people find job opportunities, and supporting start-ups and small businesses.
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Education – helping displaced children and young people access emergency education, recreation and psychosocial activities.
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Capacity building – providing communities, local groups and our partners with training and awareness sessions on how to access services that assist with education, livelihoods, housing and property, employment, and civil documents.
Our operations
NRC office established: 2013
Areas of operation: Syrian Arab Republic
Download the factsheet for NRC in Syria
Our impact
In 2023, we assisted 761,549 people through our programmes in Syria:
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37,811Education
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33,163Livelihoods and food security
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219,218Shelter and settlements
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71,605Information, counselling and legal assistance
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510,052Water, sanitation and hygiene
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85,804Other NRC activities
Note: some people received more than one type of assistance.
