Attachments
Context
After more than fourteen years of conflict and crisis, Syria continues to face a profound and cumulative housing and infrastructure deficit that undermines stability, recovery efforts, and prospects for safe and dignified living conditions. While the political landscape shifted significantly following political changes in late 2024, the material impacts of protracted conflict on the built environment remain acute. According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), one-third of the country’s housing stock has been damaged or destroyed, while critical infrastructure, including roads, water networks, electricity, and sanitation systems, remains largely non-functional.1 As of December 2025, an estimated 7.4 million people remain internally displaced,2 including more than 1.5 million living in tents, unfinished buildings, or overcrowded collective centres never intended for long-term use.3 The February 2023 earthquakes further exacerbated vulnerabilities, destroying an additional 47,000 homes and displacing over 50,000 families.4
Displacement and return dynamics continue to evolve within this fragile socio-economic and security environment. As of December 2025, an estimated 1.26 million individuals who had been displaced outside Syria were reported to have returned to the country since December 2024., many to damaged, looted, or structurally unsafe homes, particularly in Damascus, Aleppo, Idleb, and Homs governorates.5 Meanwhile, northwest Syria continues to host nearly two million IDPs across more than 1,150 camps and informal settlements, with approximately 700,000 people living in substandard shelters and exposed to recurring seasonal hazards.6 The broader humanitarian situation remains severe. Over 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, and 16.5 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025.7 Despite ongoing efforts, the Syria Shelter and Non-Food Items (SNFI) Sector had reached only 45% of its 811,000 targeted beneficiaries as of December 2025, highlighting the scale of unmet needs.8