Ghaith, 6, attends a psychosocial support session at a UNICEF-supported child protection center in Aleppo city, Syria.
Emergency Response

Crisis in Syria: As Families Look to Rebuild Their Lives, Massive Needs Persist

A high-level visit to northwest Syria highlights harsh realities on the ground after 14 years of conflict. UNICEF remains steadfast in its commitment to deliver critical support — and to bring hope for the future.

 

On Jan. 20, 2025, during a five-day visit to Syria, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban visited Ma'arrat An Nu'man in Idlib, a governorate in the northwest part of the country.

The city, once home to 100,000 people, is now a ghost town bearing the scars of close to 14 years of relentless conflict. 

“The scale of destruction … is unimaginable,” Chaiban said. “Homes, health centers, hospitals, water systems, schools — there is very little left.” 

Children fetch water in Aleppo, Syria, on Dec. 14, 2024.
Children fetch water in Aleppo, Syria. After 14 years of devastating conflict and a significant political transition, Syria now faces a historic opportunity to rebuild and foster a stable, peaceful future. The UN Secretary-General has called for calm and the protection of all Syrians, urging unity, respect for international law and prioritization of dialogue in shaping a society rooted in dignity and inclusivity. UNICEF is working tirelessly across Syria to address the urgent needs of children and families, focusing on essential services like education, water, sanitation, child protection, health and nutrition and social protection. © UNICEF/UNI712083/Asmar

Chaiban's visit, which included meetings with Caretaker Authorities in Damascus, the UN country team and other partners to discuss next steps for humanitarian efforts, underscored the urgent need for support for reconstruction and recovery in conflict-devastated areas. 

Essential services, including water, sanitation and hygiene, health and education, must be restored to enable families to rebuild their lives. 

"A clear message emerged" from the trip, Chaiban said in a Jan. 23 statement. "There is hope for a better future, but to pave a solid road to recovery and seize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity, there must be immense, coordinated efforts at both national and international levels."

There is hope for a better future, but to pave a solid road to recovery and seize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity, there must be immense, coordinated efforts at both national and international levels. — UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban

From the outset, Chaiban continued, the authorities and international partners need to prioritize an inclusive transitional period that addresses the vast challenges stemming from over a decade of relentless conflict, which has left many cities, villages and critical infrastructure in ruins, and millions of people displaced.

'The one thing they want is to go back home' 

The needs in Syria are immense. Over 7.2 million Syrians remain internally displaced, 2 million in north Syria alone. Nearly 40 percent of the country’s health infrastructure is partly or completely non-functional. Only about 20,000 doctors remain in the country, or about 2.4 for every 1,000 people, far below the international standard of 4.5 per 1,000.

At least 2.4 million children are out of school. More than 1 million more children are at risk of dropping out due to ongoing insecurity and persistent lack of resources. Nearly 13.6 million people require improved water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Protection risks for children remain high. Since 2011, the United Nations has verified approximately 25,500 grave violations in Syria, including child recruitment and the killing and maiming of children. "Creating a protective environment for children is an urgent need," Chaiban said.

Remas, an 11-year-old beneficiary of UNICEF’s cash assistance program, which provides financial support through cash transfers alongside a holistic support system for vulnerable families, during a UNICEF visit to her home in Hama, Syria, on Dec. 16, 2024.
Remas, 11, of Hama, Syria, benefits from UNICEF’s cash assistance program, which provides financial support through cash transfers alongside a holistic support system for vulnerable families. After almost 14 years of war, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach children and caregivers with a range of services to help them recover and rebuild their lives, including awareness sessions about staying safe from the remnants of war, preventing sexual abuse and exploitation, and fostering tolerance and social cohesion. © UNICEF/UNI706133/Agha

On Jan. 21, Chaiban spent time at the Kafr Jales informal settlement, home to 300 families who had fled the town of Sinjar to escape fighting. It is one of 1,200 makeshift camps in the north sheltering some 2 million people.

“They’re telling us the one thing they want is to be able to go back home,” Chaiban said of the families he met. "But in order to do so, they need some kind of shelter. They need water. They need education. And UNICEF is ready to accompany the process. We need the resources to be able to do so. We need to be able to give hope to these communities.” 

Since Nov. 27, 2024, Syria has undergone significant military, economic, social and political changes, culminating in the collapse of the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024. "This collapse has brought about a mix of optimism and rebuilding efforts but has also led to instability, disorder and an escalating humanitarian crisis," UNICEF reported in a late December situation overview. 

An escalation in hostilities in some areas led to new displacements, while some civilians who had been living outside the country reportedly returned home, despite prevailing insecurity and other threats, including the presence of hundreds of thousands of pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) scattered across the country.

UXO has become the leading cause of child casualties in Syria, killing or injuring more than 116 children in December 2024 alone.

A lurking threat: unexploded ordnance, deadly remnants of war

UNICEF Communication Manager Ricardo Pires highlighted the "lurking, often invisible and extremely deadly threat" of UXO in Syria at a Jan. 14  press briefing in Geneva, noting that at least 422,000 incidents involving UXO were reported in 14 governorates across the country since 2015, with half of them estimated to have ended in tragic child casualties.

"As reconstruction efforts continue to be discussed, and the international community prepares to help Syria pave a new path for children, it is imperative that immediate investment takes place to ensure the ground is safe and clear of explosives."

UNICEF works with local partners to educate children and communities about mine risks, and how to recognize and avoid the material. This work remains a priority under UNICEF's 2025 Humanitarian Action Plan for the country.

UNICEF also supports programs that provide cash assistance and psychosocial support, vocational training and prosthetic assistance to children like 18-year-old Abdo, who lost a limb after encountering an explosive ordnance in 2020, at the age of 14, and whose father also lost his sight during the incident. Abdo, Chaiban said, "is one of many affected children in Syria."

Children hold a special sign representing key lessons shared during an awareness session about the risks of explosive ordnance, at a UNICEF-supported center in Hammorieh, Rural Damascus, Syria.
Children learn about the risks of unexploded ordnance (mines and other explosive material, or UXO) during an awareness session at a UNICEF-supported center in Hammorieh, Rural Damascus, Syria. Since 2015, at least 422,000 incidents involving UXO were reported; half are believed to have ended in tragic child casualties. © UNICEF/UN0826115/Shahan

With the government's collapse, insecurity and widespread displacement — but also opportunities for enhanced collaboration 

UNICEF has maintained a steady presence in Syria since civil conflict started in 2011, and humanitarian work is ongoing. In 2024 alone, UNICEF helped sustain major water systems, reaching more than 7 million people with clean and safe water. Nearly 1 million children gained access to formal and non-formal education opportunities, and 470,000 children – half of them girls – were reached with essential vaccines.

With the change in government on Dec. 8, 2024, UNICEF is exploring new opportunities for enhanced collaboration around delivering critical support.

"For Syria to move forward, the Caretaker Authorities need, as they indicated is their intent, to champion an inclusive transition process — one that embraces the nation’s rich diversity, respects all ethnicities and empowers every girl, boy, woman and man," Chaiban said. "Respect for gender equality and human rights must be a cornerstone of Syria’s future."

During his visit this week, Chaiban met with Nazeer Al-Qadri, Minister of Education of Syria’s Caretaker Authority in Damascus, accompanied by Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, and Yasumasa Kimura, the UNICEF Representative in Syria, to discuss how to address Syria's persistent education crisis.

UNICEF works with partners in Syria to provide formal and non-formal education to children in need, deliver school supplies and help rehabilitate damaged schools as part of an ongoing effort to improve and maintain access to safe and supportive learning environments. Still, the lack of continuous access to learning opportunities remains a major challenge.

One-year-old Morei is screened for malnutrition by a member of a UNICEF-supported health and nutrition mobile team in Obada village, Rural Damascus, Syria on Dec. 15, 2024.
One-year-old Morei is examined by a member of a UNICEF-supported health and nutrition mobile team in Obada village, Rural Damascus, Syria. In 2024, UNICEF reached more than 950,000 children and 1,350,000 women across Syria with nutritional support. Read Morei's story. © UNICEF/UNI707703/Sargi

UNICEF continues to seek donor support to accelerate key interventions in education and other program areas. For the 2025 HAC, which remains significantly underfunded, UNICEF Syria needs $488.3 million in humanitarian funding to deliver rapid, sustained and equitable support to 7 million people, including 4.3 million children.

UNICEF's priorities in child protection include safeguarding vulnerable children from violence, including gender-based violence, and providing case management services for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, in addition to protecting children from unexploded ordnance.

UNICEF also provides mental health and psychosocial support and psychological first aid to children and caregivers. These and other UNICEF-supported interventions are provided through mobile teams and child-friendly spaces.

Mohamed, 11, chats with a UNICEF staff member in front of a UNICEF-supported child protection center in Aleppo, Syria, on Dec. 5, 2024.
Mohamed, 11, chats with a UNICEF staff member in front of a UNICEF-supported child protection center in the Qastal Al Moshet neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. Mohamed regularly visits the center and participates in psychosocial support sessions. “I’ve learned to think carefully before reacting,” he said. Dozens of families and children regularly seek assistance at the center. © UNICEF/UNI704295/Yacoubian

Since Dec, 8, UNICEF has deployed 185 mobile medical teams to underserved areas to deliver vital health and nutrition services, including vaccinations and supplementation. A humanitarian cash assistance program is helping thousands of families meet basic needs.

Still, the humanitarian crisis remains dire, with severe shortages and challenges to accessing health, WASH, education, protection and other essential services.

UNICEF is working to keep WASH service going for over 10 million people across Syria by operationalizing public water and sanitation systems. These efforts include UNICEF's coordination of the entry of essential materials and technicians to repair the Tishreen Dam in Aleppo, ensuring stable power and water supply for over 850,000 people.

UNICEF education partners are resuming educational support across the country as schools reopen.

Young students inside a classroom in a UNICEF-rehabilitated school during a visit by UNICEF Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder and UNICEF Syria Representative Yasumasa Kimura to Aleppo, Syria, on Dec. 17, 2024.
Students sit in a classroom at Khawla Bent Al-Azwar School in Aleppo, a school that UNICEF rehabilitated in 2018 and that has since become a model for delivering education in emergencies. Amid Syria’s protracted crisis, children and families continue to face displacement, economic struggles and limited access to essential services. More than 2.4 million children are out of school children and another 1 million are at risk of dropping out. © UNICEF/UNI708540/Deeb

Chaiban called for decisive action by the international community to mobilize resources and assist with Syria's critical transition. "Easing sanctions and facilitating measures to strengthen recovery and reconstruction efforts can pave the way for lasting progress," he said. "Time is of essence, expectations are high and swift collective action is needed to restore hope, peace and stability."

UNICEF stands ready to lead where it matters most for children, he added: providing expertise in primary health care, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and social protection.

“The children of Syria must remain at the heart of every effort. Their future is on the line. Together, let us seize this opportunity and act boldly to secure a brighter tomorrow for every child in Syria.”

UNICEF remains steadfast in its commitment to reach every child in Syria with the critical support they need. Committed to delivering hope and opportunities, UNICEF will continue working alongside partners to help rebuild lives and create a future where every child can thrive in safety and dignity.

Flexible funding enables UNICEF and its partners to respond swiftly and consistently to the evolving needs on the ground. Support UNICEF’s mission for children in Syria and around the world. Donate today.

 

TOP PHOTO: Ghaith, 6, attends a psychosocial support session at a UNICEF-supported child protection center in the Qastal Al Moshet neighborhood of Aleppo, where dozens of families and children regularly seek assistance. In response to the challenges posed by the country's unstable environment, UNICEF provides critical mental health support at the center, offering psychosocial activities designed to help children express their emotions, heal from trauma and regain a sense of stability. The center also offers parenting sessions focused on caregivers' mental well-being, with an emphasis on stress management and nurturing healthy child development. © UNICEF/UNI704243/Yacoubian

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