Attachments
Highlights
• Over 279,000 Syrians have crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries since 8 December.
• In Northeast Syria, education is disrupted for over 230,000 children.
• Al-Khafsa water pumping station has experienced intermittent disruptions since 27 January. Currently, the station is operating at less than 50 per cent of its capacity, severely impacting water supply to more than 3.5 million people in Aleppo governorate.
• In Northwest Syria, 636,000 people in camps are deprived of WASH services due to underfunding.
• UNICEF successfully rehabilitated and operated the second turbine of the Tishreen Dam, ensuring stability and self-generated electrical power, and provision of electricity to about 500,000 households.
• UNICEF, through its partners, has provided a comprehensive package of nutrition prevention and treatment services including supplements to 60,785 children (30,377 girls) under 5 years old since 27 November.
• UNICEF and its partners have provided primary healthcare services to 85,574 people, including 66,271 children (33,543 girls) and 18,303 women.
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF Syria's Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal for 2025 requires US$488 million. Currently, only 16 per cent of this amount has been secured while the needs are significant.
UNICEF extends its gratitude to all its public and private partners for their support towards the response. This includes flexible humanitarian funding and core resources from both public and private partners, which enable it to respond to rising and sudden needs. Without additional resources, UNICEF’s ability to provide essential assistance to children will be hindered, leading to increased protection risks and impacting life-saving interventions.
Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs
The security situation in Syria remained volatile with sporadic security escalations. Hostilities continues to impact Northeast Syria (NES), particularly in eastern Aleppo and around the Tishreen Dam, as well as in Al-Hasakeh and ArRaqqa governorates. Shelling, airstrikes, clashes, and other incidents and conflict-related violence were reported around the Qurret Qawagez bridge in the Menbij area. On 23 January, hostilities affected a camp in Jarablus in Aleppo governorate, injuring two children and five men while destroying five shelters.5 In the South, Israeli incursion activities continued to be reported in Quneitra.
The presence of explosive remnants of war (ERW), including unexploded ordnance (UXO) and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), has restricted access in parts of Aleppo governorate. According to estimates, more than 300,000 mines remain spread across the country. Since December, 141 people, including 24 children and 13 women, have been killed by 198 explosive ordnance incidents. At least 265 others were injured, including 114 children and 16 women.
The volatile security environment, movement restrictions, and shifting frontlines continue to hinder humanitarian efforts, limiting aid and affecting the population’s access to essential supplies (water, electricity, sanitation, etc.) and services, such as health, nutrition, education and protection from violence and exploitation.
Across governorates, the WASH sector infrastructure continues to suffer from the long years of crisis that has affected the quality of services. Based on UNICEF-led infrastructure assessment, water infrastructure efficiency stands at less than 50 per cent and goes down further with low availability of power supply. On the other hand, the facilities sustainability index stands at only 25 per cent, which is reflective of the dwindled human capacity to manage them and the unavailability of spare parts, tools, cash and other elements for quick repairs. While discussions with the line ministry and its offices at the sub-national level are alluding to an imminent early recovery phase, the need to continue with emergency/shock therapy type of interventions continues to prevail and is estimated at US$170 million over the next couple of years. Furthermore, people in Al-Hasakeh city and its surrounding villages continue to suffer from sustained insufficiency of water services because the Alouk water facility, situated along the Turkish border, is nonfunctional, as it is lacking power supply. UNICEF’s recent advocacy at country, regional and global levels, and with the Turkish authorities, has opened discussions on connectivity to the Turkish power grid. During these engagements, UNICEF asked Türkiye to facilitate works at the Tishreen Dam hydropower generation that supplies power to the AlKhafsa water treatment facility (which provides potable water to an estimated 3.5 million people in Aleppo governorate) and Babiri water station.
In northeast Syria, support for 23 health facilities was phased out due to funding challenges, while in northwest Syria, over 30 health facilities were damaged or destroyed, and more than 100 are out of funds, with three primary health centres suspending services due to underfunding.
In NES, vaccination and deworming campaigns have not been undertaken for the newly internally displaced people across most collective shelters. In eastern Aleppo, all nutrition facilities remain non-functional in Menbij and Ain al-Arab, putting vulnerable pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and children at high risk of malnutrition and illnesses. In NES, the education of more than 230,000 children is disrupted. Among them 50,000 children are deprived of learning, as their schools/classrooms continue to be used as emergency collective centres. It has also been reported that over 23,000 teachers nationwide were not reporting to work due to security, transportation and cash related issues. There is also a critical need for mental health and psychosocial support for children and families staying in collective centres. Referrals for specialized services remain constrained.
The economic downturn has also impacted local markets and service providers, restricting economic opportunities and deepening humanitarian needs. Across the country, liquidity issues continue to persist despite the Central Bank of Syria lifting restrictions on transactions through financial transfer companies. Consequently, partners have not yet been able to resume cash distribution. They are also facing challenges related to inflation, access to areas controlled by different armed groups, looting, and ongoing clashes. Furthermore, some partners’ female staff have been confronted at checkpoints with issues over seating arrangements and clothing, affecting their ability to work.
Population movement
Between 8 December 2024 and 27 January 2025, over 279,000 Syrians have crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, while the number of newly internally displaced people stands at 617,000. Over 40 per cent of them are in Idleb and 17 per cent are in Aleppo governorates. Overall, 7.24 million Syrians remain displaced within the country, and more than 6 million refugees are still living outside of Syria.