An overwhelming majority of Iraqi refugees 91.6% of refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Syria are from Iraq. The Government of Syria, which has continuously implemented a generous policy towards the stay of Iraqi refugees, estimates that the country hosts about one million Iraqis. 64.6% come from the region of Baghdad alone and 62.4% sought refuge in Syria five or more years ago. 35% of the 27,681 families registered are female-headed households.

Several thousand non-Iraqi refugees UNHCR provides protection and assistance to 8,005 non-Iraqi refugees and asylum-seekers. Their situation remains precarious however as UNHCR documentation, which is frequently the only document they have, does not suffice by itself to legitimate their presence in Syria.

An urban refugee operation Apart from a few hundred individuals, all persons registered with UNHCR live in urban areas, mainly Damascus and its suburbs. The camp-based refugees are Palestinians who fled Iraq and now live in Al Hol camp in north-eastern Syria.

A high proportion of refugees with special needs 36,000 individuals (or 37.6% of the overall refugee population) have special needs and require targeted support, including 33,634 Iraqis (38.3% of Iraqi registered population) and 2,366 non-Iraqis (29.5%).