Syria Emergency Appeal

What is happening in Syria?

It has been more than 18 months since the political upheaval of December 2024 in Syria, but the country remains in the grips of a significant humanitarian crisis. The 14-year-long conflict has left Syria mired in one of the world’s biggest displacement disasters, a situation exacerbated by natural disasters and a fragile economy.

Since December 2024, more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees (UNHCR) and close to 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their places of origin or preferred destinations in Syria – but many of them still face critical food shortages, lack of jobs and nowhere to live.

Across Syria, it is estimated that 15.6 million across Syria (Humanitarian Action) are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.

Conditions in displacement camps are poor with inhabitants having nowhere else to go due to their original homes being destroyed, their villages have few services, or simply due to a lack of funds to return. Others face a struggle to prove land and property rights as documents have been lost or destroyed. 

What are some major issues facing Syria in 2026?

Syria is ranked the second in the world for most unexploded ordnances (UXOs), creating huge safety concerns – especially for children.

Only about 57 per cent of hospitals and 30 per cent of primary health care centres are fully operational – a situation exacerbated by a significant water crisis across the country. Historically low rainfall and water levels in Syria have reduced access to water for over 5 million people. As well as limiting access to safe drinking water, this has also impacted the agricultural sector and seen an increase in waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea.

How is Islamic Relief supporting people in Syria?

In 2025, Islamic Relief reached more than 1.2 million people in Syria with vital aid and key long-term programmes.

With so many gaps in critical services across the country, our future projects will look to support systems on the brink of collapse.

Future long-term projects will focus on helping rebuild Syria and plug the gaps in critical sectors such as education, healthcare and shelter; our programmes will include improving temporary shelters for internally displaced people, assisting returnees returning to their hometowns and assisting with the reopening of schools, hospitals and health facilities in the major cities of Syria including Aleppo, Homs, Hama and Damascus. We are running a centre providing prosthetic limbs that is overwhelmed by people needing treatment.

We will also look improve the livelihoods of vulnerable Syrians, improving local production, create stable job opportunities, and supporting the most vulnerable groups across Syria.

Please support our lifesaving work: Donate to our Syria Emergency Appeal now.