Attachments
SITUATION OVERVIEW
The protracted crisis in Syria over the past 13 years and the fragile humanitarian situation have now deepened significantly following intensified hostilities and rapid developments since 28 November 2024. The escalation resulted in mass displacement, destruction of critical infrastructure, and significant humanitarian needs.
Over 1.1 million people have been displaced, with the potential for up to 1.5 million more if the violence continues. Many families are seeking shelter in overcrowded and underserved areas, and reports indicate significant civilian casualties, injuries, and shortages of food. Access to healthcare, protection, livelihoods, and basic services has been severely restricted due to ongoing hostilities and insecurity.
There are multiple overlapping population movements in this crisis too, including major internal displacement within Syria, some IDPs returning home, movements out of Syria and steadily increasing numbers of refugee returns, which stand at a few tens of thousands at the time of writing.
While families are attempting to return to areas perceived as safer, many are confronted with destroyed infrastructure, limited services, economic collapse, and insecurity, including unexploded ordnance, contamination, and general criminality. Sustainable reintegration and long-term assistance are crucial in this environment. SARC volunteers and branches are on the ground providing food assistance, clean water, medical evacuation, Restoring Family Links (RFL), dead body management, and Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), among others.
SARC has long experience in delivering humanitarian aid through overlapping multiple crises over the last 13 years, encompassing complex protracted conflict, population movements, COVID-19, cholera, the 2023 earthquake, seasonal floods, droughts, and wildfires. And with the situation in Syria highly volatile, with ongoing military operations, potential spillover and significant population movement across borders may impact neighbouring countries as well, leading to yet further immediate and long-term humanitarian needs.
IFRC approach
Responding to this fast-moving context requires an agile, flexible, and coordinated Red Cross Red Crescent Movement-wide approach both in Syria and in neighbouring countries. The IFRC will work to ensure that this response uses a “one-country” approach while addressing the unique needs of specific regions, and addressing sudden changes in context as they emerge with possible new humanitarian implications affecting both Syria and neighbouring countries. This emergency appeal may expand to include those neighbouring countries as the situation evolves.
This Emergency Appeal will also lay the foundation for accelerated, early recovery efforts, addressing the needs of people returning to, and originating from, Syria.