Introduction
Humanitarian needs in Syria are now at an all-time high, with 7 out of 10 Syrians requiring humanitarian assistance. More than 13 years after the start of the Syria crisis, half the population is displaced, both inside and outside the country.
They have been confronted with the impact of conflict, displacement, climate change, epidemics, and a devastating earthquake. The recent conflict escalation and the collapse of the government in Damascus has 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 crises. Mass displacement, widespread food insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, economic decline, and preventable diseases have left 16.7 million people in urgent need of assistance in 2024.
Syria ranks as the 4th most food-insecure country globally, with 12.9 million people requiring food assistance. In recent years, intensified hostilities and violations of International Humanitarian Law in Northern Syria have escalated displacement, worsened living conditions, and destroyed essential services and infrastructure.
Lately, in September 2024, escalating hostilities in Lebanon pushed over 560,000 individuals to cross from Lebanon to Syria, both Syrian nationals, Lebanese and third country nationals. The majority of them are women and children. Following the ceasefire of 27 November between Israel and Hezbollah, arrivals into Syria have continued but at much reduced rates, while reverse movements to Lebanon continue to be observed.
During November 2024, Northern Syria experienced the most significant escalation of hostilities between the Government of Syria (GoS) and Organised Armed Groups (OAG) since 2020. Following a large-scale offensive, with opposition factions taking control of Aleppo and other cities toppling former President Bashar Al-Assad, major territorial changes throughout Syria resulted in large-scale displacement of population. The hostilities put civilians and humanitarian workers at risk, disrupted public services, and damaged or destroyed critical civilian infrastructure.
In parallel, since the fall of the Government in Damascus on 8 December, hostilities have been reported in Northeast Syria, having a massive humanitarian impact on the areas around.
According to the 2024 humanitarian needs overview:
- 16.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance
- close to 1 million people newly displaced from 27 November to 15 December.
- more than 1/2 the population lacks a stable source of water
- over 12.9 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
- 2.4 million children are out of school
- 15.3 million people in need of protection services
- An estimated 560,000 people crossed from Lebanon to Syria between late September and 27 November 2024, the day the ceasefire between Isreal and Hezbollah came into effect.
- Additionally, over 4.8 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. The EU, along with its Member States, is the largest donor to the Syria crisis.
Over the past 13 years, the EU and its Member States has mobilised more than €33.3 billion in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation assistance. It has supported Syrians both inside the country and across the region.
This includes more than €4.3 billion in humanitarian aid to Syrians and vulnerable host communities inside Syria and the region, including over €1.7 billion. for Syria alone. Since 2017, the EU also organises a yearly Brussels conference to support the future of Syria and the region to encourage pledges.
Latest EU humanitarian assistance
In 2024, the European Commission budget amounts to €163 million in humanitarian aid to assist millions of people inside Syria.
The EU has regularly allocated humanitarian funding to respond to new emergencies, including following the recent political developments of December 2024, the influx of displaced people from Lebanon in 2024, the February 2023 earthquakes, as well as to address health needs and the rising food insecurity inside Syria.
In December 2024, €4 million in humanitarian aid were mobilised to respond to the recent conflict escalation and displacement within the country. The assistance supports 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 (EHRC) to further support the affected population. EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights will bring a total of 50 tonnes of health supplies from EU stockpiles in Dubai, to be transported to Adana, in Türkiye for distribution across the border in the coming days.
A further 46 tonnes of health, education and shelter items from another EU stockpile in Denmark are being trucked to Adana and provided to humanitarian partners for distribution in Syria.
In October 2024, around €5.5 million in humanitarian aid 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.
In response to the February 2023 earthquakes, the EU humanitarian partners on the ground:
- conducted search and rescue operations
- provided tents, blankets, hygiene, cooking and other essential household items to the affected people
- supplied health facilities with medicines
The EU also sent supplies through its European Humanitarian Response Capacity warehouses in Brindisi, Copenhagen and Dubai, with the aim to support the efforts throughout Syria in response to the February 2023 earthquakes. .
In addition to humanitarian assistance, in 2023 the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated 2 days after the 6 February earthquake. Relief from 16 European countries was trucked in via Lebanon and Türkiye to government and non-government-controlled areas.
Overall support
EU humanitarian aid in Syria focuses on addressing critical life-saving needs and also supports humanitarian early recovery by improving access to basic services for an increasingly deprived population.
The assistance is channelled through our humanitarian partners, providing the most vulnerable with health care, food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene services, protection, shelter, and education.
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 has repeatedly called for the respect of International Humanitarian Law, urging parties to the conflict 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: 18/12/2024
Facts & figures
16.7 million people in need in 2024
More than 7.2 million internally displaced
Over 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees in the region, including:
- Over 2.9 million in Türkiye
- Around 768,000 in Lebanon
- Around 619,000 in Jordan
(Source: UNHCR – November 2024)
EU humanitarian funding inside Syria:
€163 million in 2024
Total assistance by the EU and its Member States to the Syria crisis:
more than €33.3 billion since 2011