Syrian Arab Republic: Humanitarian Overview Issue No. 2 | November 2025

IN THIS ISSUE

• Hostilities in southern governorates caused the displacement of families in Bait Jan village in Rural Damascus and left families in As-Sweida with less access to services, prompting rapid assessments and urgent humanitarian response.
• Explosive Ordnance Risks persist, with 21 deaths and 65 injuries in November; Deir-ez-Zor records the highest number of incidents nationally.
• Education Crisis Deepens: 2.5 million children are out of school, and 1.6 million more are at risk of dropping out, while 40 per cent of schools remain non-operational, underscoring urgent education needs across Syria.
• 16 Days of Activism Campaign mobilizes over 600 initiatives across 14 governorates to strengthen GBV prevention and survivor-centered response.
• Humanitarian organizations reached 3.44 million people on average in 2025 nationwide, ensuring continuity of critical services amid escalating needs and funding gaps.
• More than 590K people received cash assistance in 2025, with a total transfer value of USD 42 million.
• Syria Humanitarian Fund Transition completed, doubling its partnership base and prioritizing women-led and locally based organizations in marginalized areas.

SITUATION OVERVIEW ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Humanitarian needs across Syria persist, with 16.5 million people in need, including 1.5 million IDP returnees[1] who have returned during the period from January to August 2025, and 5.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)[2], 1.4 million of them residing[3] in 1,782 IDP sites and camps in north-west and north-east of the country. Despite localized improvements in access, economic hardship, insecurity, and displacement continue to drive vulnerability, particularly in southern governorates and north-east Syria. Funding gaps threaten essential services in camps and areas of return. The month of November was marked by heightened tensions in southern regions, displacement, and deteriorating agricultural production, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian assistance to address shelter, WASH, health, and food security needs.

Across the southern governorates, households continue to face elevated living costs, high food prices, and constrained purchasing power, despite relatively higher wage levels compared to other parts of the country. These economic pressures remain a key driver of vulnerability, limiting access to basic needs in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Dar’a, As-Sweida, and Quneitra. A total of 155,200 people remain displaced[4] since the mid-July hostilities in As-Sweida Governorate. Priority needs include shelter and NFIs (mattresses, blankets, heating fuel), reliable WASH services, health care in overstretched facilities, and comprehensive food security support, including both emergency food and agriculture assistance across affected locations.

On 28 November, a violent Israeli incursion took place in Bait Jan village in Qatana district, Rural Damascus Governorate, resulting in 13 deaths and around 35 injuries, and affected homes and public facilities and leading to the displacement of some 1,500 people. Humanitarian actors, including the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. and OCHA, conducted field visits and assessments to inform response planning and coordination and met with affected households. Community priorities include safety, house rehabilitation, winter assistance, health services, food assistance and agricultural-livelihood support, school repairs, sewage system restoration, and transportation.

In Quneitra governorate, the period was marked by repeated incursions allegedly by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including temporary checkpoints and patrols by Israeli forces in northern and central countryside areas. These activities, coupled with artillery shelling and intensified reconnaissance, heightened tensions along separation lines and raised fears of further escalation. Similar incidents were recorded in Dar’a, where incursions into Yarmouk Basin and shelling near Tel Ahmar added to security concerns. The frequency of such operations remains a source of instability, with potential implications for civilian safety and humanitarian access.

The overall situation in north-east Syria remained calm in November. However, uncertainty persists due to stalled progress on the March 10 agreement between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The lack of implementation has raised concerns about potential renewed tensions, which could trigger displacement and exacerbate humanitarian needs in an area already burdened by fragile infrastructure and limited services. Humanitarian partners are actively developing contingency plans to ensure continuity of assistance should conditions deteriorate.

In camps, funding gaps threaten essential services, particularly WASH, with humanitarian organizations warning of imminent reductions. To mitigate risks, humanitarian actors are coordinating a phased approach to camp-based assistance, linking it to voluntary, safe, and dignified returns and scaled-up support in areas of origin.

Agricultural production in Syria, including Al-Hasakeh, Syria’s traditional breadbasket, has sharply declined. Years of conflict have damaged a large per cent of irrigation infrastructure and reduced access to fuel, seeds, and fertilizers. This year’s drought like conditions further devastated cultivation and access for animal feed. Vast areas of arable land remain fallow, accelerating food insecurity and economic decline in a region that once produced up to 70 per cent of Syria’s wheat. Grazing land was also impacted by the recent drought like conditions.

In the southern Aleppo countryside, growing concerns emerged over flooding risks along the Queiq River, where heavy silt, sediment, and dense vegetation obstruct the channel and increase the likelihood of overflow during the rainy season. Potential flooding could affect arable lands, livestock, and residential areas, impacting thousands of people. The riverbed stretches over 60 kilometers, and its maintenance requires significant resources and heavy machinery, which are currently unavailable. The absence of sewage treatment facilities in Aleppo city compounds the problem, as untreated wastewater is discharged into the riverbed, contaminating groundwater and contributing to disease outbreaks such as leishmaniasis.