Syria

Introduction

With the overthrow of the Assad regime in late 2024, Syria is seeing drastic changes. Humanitarian needs in Syria remain at an all-time high, with 7 out of 10 Syrians requiring humanitarian assistance (16.5 million people). 14 years after the start of the crisis, half the population remains displaced, both inside and outside the country. Syrians have been confronted with the impact of conflict, displacement, climate change, epidemics, continued hostilities and insecurity in parts of the country, derelict essential infrastructure, as well as a devastating earthquake in February 2023. 

The recent collapse of the Assad regime and the continued instability that persists across parts of the country have heightened the risks associated with meeting the population’s basic needs. As a leading donor, the EU and its Member States have provided sustained humanitarian funding since the start of the conflict.

What are the needs?

The war in Syria remains among the world’s deadliest conflicts of the past 30 years, with over a decade of fighting causing severe humanitarian suffering. Mass displacement, widespread food insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, economic decline and preventable diseases have left 16.5 million people in urgent need of assistance in 2025. 

Syria ranks as the 4th most food-insecure country globally, with 14.5 million people requiring food assistance. In recent years, intensified hostilities and violations of international humanitarian law in Northern Syria have contributed to large-scale displacement, worsened living conditions and destroyed essential services and infrastructure. 

The November 2024 escalation triggered mass displacement due to major territorial shifts. The hostilities put civilians and humanitarian workers at risk, disrupted public services and damaged or destroyed critical civilian infrastructure. 

While the situation has stabilised in many parts of Syria, clashes and violence continue to be reported in different areas of the country, further exacerbating needs and impacting the ability of humanitarian organisations to access vulnerable populations. The fragile security situation is compounded by the continued deterioration of Syria’s economy, marked by soaring unemployment, currency depreciation and rising food prices, which are driving deeper levels of vulnerability among affected populations. In addition, population movements within Syria of both internally displaced persons (IDP) and refugee returnees have been steadily recorded. However, reintegration remains fraught with challenges, including rising tensions among returnees, IDPs and host communities, largely driven by competition over resources, unresolved housing, land and property disputes, and the absence of transitional justice mechanisms. The protection landscape continues to be particularly difficult, highlighting the fragility of the context across Syria. Ongoing challenges will likely continue to influence the decision to return home for those displaced.

In North-East Syria, the situation remains precarious for both the host communities and those displaced in camps, highlighting the continued need to provide life-saving services to vulnerable populations.

According to the 2025 humanitarian response priorities:

• 16.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• Over 713,100 people remain newly displaced following the escalation of late 2024.
• In addition, more than 7 million IDPs continue to be displaced throughout the country, many for years on end and multiple times.
• More than half the population lacks stable access to water.
• Over 14.5 million people are food insecure.
• More than 2 million internally displaced people live in camps and informal settlements, 85% of which are reportedly unable to meet basic needs.
• 2.45 million children are out of school.
• 16.3 million people are in need of protection services.
• An estimated 861,966 people returned to Syria from neighbouring countries from early 2024 until 15 May 2025.
• Additionally, over 4.4 million registered Syrian refugees live in the region, mostly in Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan.

How are we helping?

Despite many challenges, the EU has continued to provide impartial humanitarian aid to those in need across Syria since 2011. Along with its Member States, the EU is the largest donor to the Syria crisis, having mobilised more than €37 billion in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation assistance since 2011 to support Syrians inside Syria and across the region.

This includes more than €4.4 billion in humanitarian aid to Syrians and vulnerable host communities inside Syria and the region, including over €1.9 billion for Syria alone. Since 2017, the EU also organises a yearly Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region’ to provide space for Syrian voices, keep Syria high on the political agenda and encourage financial pledges to the response.

Latest EU humanitarian assistance

In 2024, the European Commission’s allocation amounted to over €163 million in humanitarian aid to assist millions of people inside Syria. 

For 2025, the European Commission to date allocated €202.5 million in humanitarian aid to support the response in Syria. From an initial budget of €142.5 million, the EU has allocated an additional €40 million to support sectors where critical gaps in state services could lead to catastrophic humanitarian consequences. In addition, it allocated €20 million to address the dire humanitarian situation in North-East Syria by providing basic services, such as health and protection.

In 2024, the EU also boosted its humanitarian funding in order to address sudden emergencies, including following the developments of December 2024, the influx of displaced people from Lebanon, as well as to address increasing health needs and the rising food insecurity across the country. In December 2024, close to €4 million in humanitarian aid was rapidly mobilised to respond to the conflict escalation and displacement within the country. The assistance supported the supply lines of essential medication and the distribution of food parcels, preventing interruption of services in conflict-affected areas.

In addition, the EU activated the European Humanitarian Response Capacity, or EHRC, bringing a total of 50 tonnes of health supplies from EU stockpiles in Dubai to Adana, Türkiye via EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights for distribution across the border. A further 46 tonnes of health, education and shelter items from a stockpile in Denmark was trucked to Adana and distributed in Syria by humanitarian partners.

In October 2024, around €5.5 million was mobilised to respond to the influx of displaced people from Lebanon to Syria. The assistance included the provision of food, non-food items, health and protection services at border crossing points and arrival locations.

Overall support

EU humanitarian aid in Syria focuses on addressing critical life-saving and protection needs as well as humanitarian early recovery by improving access to basic services for a deprived population. The assistance is channelled through EU humanitarian partners who provide the most vulnerable with health, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection, shelter, education, food, cash and emergency livelihood, as well as nutrition assistance.

The EU closely cooperates with all its humanitarian partners across the country: NGOs, UN agencies and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. They adhere to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

The EU calls for the respect of International Humanitarian Law, urging parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructures and to allow unimpeded, safe and continued humanitarian access to people in need.

The EU also funds humanitarian aid in countries across the region – Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt – which host millions of Syrian refugees.

_{Last updated: 22/05/2025}

Facts & figures

16.5 million people in need in 2025

More than 7.4 million internally displaced people

Over 4.4 million registered Syrian refugees in the region, including: 

• over 2.7 million in Türkiye
• over 722,000 in Lebanon
• over 546,000 in Jordan  
  (Source: UNHCR – March 2025)

EU humanitarian funding inside Syria:

€202.5 million in 2025

Total assistance by the EU and its Member States to the Syria crisis:

more than €37 billion since 2011.