As of November 2024, Syria remains one of the largest displacement crises globally, with over 14 million people forcibly displaced since the conflict began in 2011. The children of Syria have endured a series of devastating blows — including ongoing hostilities, widespread displacement, public health emergencies, and the destructive earthquake of 2023. The conflict that escalated recently in northwest Syria on November 26, 2024, has newly displaced over 24,000 children and put their lives and safety a risk.
Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
- Fast facts: Syrian refugee crisis
- What’s the latest humanitarian situation in Syria?
- What is the impact of the ongoing conflict in Syria today?
- What is the Syrian refugee crisis?
- How did the 2023 earthquake affect the Syrian refugee crisis?
- Where do Syrian refugees live?
- How has the Syrian conflict affected the children of Syria?
- What is World Vision doing to help people impacted by the crisis in Syria?
- How long has World Vision worked in the Middle East?
- How can I help vulnerable Syrian children and their families?
Fast facts: Syrian refugee crisis
- In 2024, an estimated 16.7 million people in Syria are assessed to need humanitarian aid, marking a 9% increase from the previous year, according to U.N. agencies.
- As of April 2024, nearly 7.5 million children in Syria needed humanitarian assistance, as reported by the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
- Syria has 7.2 million internally displaced people — one of the largest globally and the highest since the conflict began.
- Neighboring Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye) hosts the largest refugee population worldwide, with nearly 3 million Syrian refugees.
- Approximately 2 million Syrian refugee children are out of school, with an additional 1.6 million at risk of dropping out.
- A deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, devastated northwest Syria and southeast Turkey, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
- The conflict in Syria began on March 15, 2011, escalating from peaceful protests to full-scale violence.
What’s the latest humanitarian situation in Syria?
The escalation of hostilities that began on November 28, 2024, has impacted citizens, infrastructure, and humanitarian access and operations in a region already strained by prolonged conflict, displacement, and socioeconomic collapse.
According to the United Nations, 1 million people have been newly displaced within Syria, including 155,000 people experiencing displacement for at least the second time. The rapid escalation has left families without vital support as some humanitarian operations have been temporarily suspended. Many families are now seeking shelter in overcrowded camps and centers with limited resources and worsening conditions. In particular, limited access to food, clean water, and sanitation are putting the health of children at risk.
Food scarcity is also a growing concern, with bakeries and markets struggling to operate. Public services and critical facilities, including hospitals, power stations, and water supplies, have been disrupted, with some facilities no longer functioning due to a shortage of supplies and staff. Healthcare access has been severely disrupted as health facilities, including main hospitals, have been damaged or closed.
What is the impact of the ongoing conflict in Syria today?
The conflict has devastated Syria and its people:
- Loss of life: Hundreds of thousands of people have died, including civilians.
- Destroyed infrastructure: Many of the nation’s roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals lie in ruins, limiting essential services.
- Economic implications: High unemployment and poverty prevail, with nearly 13 million people unable to access enough food. Additionally, 9 out of 10 Syrian refugees find it challenging to fulfill their most basic needs.
- Displacement: Over 6.3 million refugees are living abroad, and millions of people are internally displaced, creating a dire humanitarian crisis.
What is the Syrian refugee crisis?
The conflict in Syria has caused the largest refugee and displacement crisis of our time, impacting millions of people within Syria and in surrounding countries.
- Mass displacement: Over half of Syria’s population is displaced, with an estimated 16.7 million people requiring aid in 2024.
- Refugee and asylum-seekers: Approximately 6.3 million are refugees or asylum-seekers. (Asylum seekers are people who’ve applied for refugee status.) Another 7.2 million are displaced within Syria.
- Humanitarian efforts: Ongoing aid is critical to tackle displacement, economic hardships, and food insecurity.
How did the 2023 earthquake affect the Syrian refugee crisis?
The February 6, 2023, earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northwest Syria deepened the struggles of displaced Syrians. The disaster worsened displacement, elevated hunger levels and malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare and educational support.
Where do Syrian refugees live?
Syrian refugees have sought asylum in more than 137 countries, with 73% hosted by neighboring countries:
- Turkey: Turkey alone hosts the largest population of Syrian refugees, with more than 3 million Syrians living there.
- Lebanon: Approximately 784,900 Syrian refugees live in Lebanon, with many residing in informal tent settlements and struggling to afford basic necessities.
- Jordan: More than 649,100 Syrian refugees are in Jordan. Some 120,000 people live in the Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps.
How has the Syrian conflict affected the children of Syria?
The war has had a devastating impact on the children of Syria. According to UNICEF, approximately 7.5 million children in Syria urgently need aid, with millions forced to flee their homes as refugees. Many Syrian children have never known a time without war. Here’s how the war is affecting Syrian children today.
- Displacement: The conflict has forced millions of children to flee their homes. They live in makeshift camps, overcrowded shelters, or streets, often without access to basic necessities like food, water, and medical care.
- Diseases and malnutrition: Children are susceptible to ailments brought on by poor sanitation and hygiene, including diarrheal diseases like cholera. They may miss vaccinations and regular health checkups, especially in cut-off areas. In poor housing, cold weather increases the risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Lack of access to healthy foods weakens them further.
- Education: The conflict has disrupted the education system in Syria, with many schools destroyed or closed. As a result, 2.4 million children in Syria have been unable to attend school, and many have fallen behind in their education.
- Child marriage and abuse: Syrian children are more vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation in the unfamiliar and overcrowded conditions in refugee camps and informal tent settlements. Families desperate for income may be more prone to arrange marriages for their young daughters in exchange for dowries.
- Child labor: With their families struggling to make ends meet, many children have been forced to work in dangerous and exploitative conditions to help support their families.
- Recruitment of child soldiers: Both government forces and armed groups have been known to recruit children to fight in the conflict, putting them in harm’s way and robbing them of their childhood.
- Psychological toll: The ongoing violence and displacement have taken a severe toll on the mental health of Syrian children. Many have experienced trauma, anxiety, and depression and have little access to mental health services.
What is World Vision doing to help people impacted by the crisis in Syria?
World Vision is responding to the recent surge in displacement and humanitarian needs in Syria. We are actively assessing needs and planning to scale up our humanitarian operations by collaborating with local partners to reach those most affected.
In 2023, World Vision reached over 2.3 million people, prioritizing the well-being of children and families impacted by the ongoing crisis. After the February 6, 2023, earthquake, we launched more than 50 projects in partnership with local organizations, supporting nearly 1.8 million people. Our earthquake response programs covered a range of critical areas, including child protection; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); livelihoods; health; nutrition; education; and more. Some key highlights include:
- In Turkey, our child protection programming, called LIFT (Life in Fullness Together), combines psychosocial support, education, and child protection services to promote child well-being.
- Initiatives like Channels of Hope and Celebrating Families in Jordan and Syria work with communities of faith to target the root causes of violence.
- Critical WASH interventions were implemented, including responses to the 2022 cholera outbreak and the 2023 earthquake.
- Technical training, cash-for-work programs, and a cash and voucher program are helping foster family and community resilience.
- Health and nutrition services, especially in northwest Syria and northeast Syria, are expanding with programs covering health initiatives, nutrition programs, and health education.
World Vision remains committed to strengthening community resilience and adaptability to help ensure a sustained positive impact amid ongoing challenges.
How long has World Vision worked in the Middle East?
World Vision has served in the Middle East region for nearly four decades. We’re dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and the communities where they live through long-term sustainable development and responding to disasters and crises.
How can I help vulnerable Syrian children and their families?
You can help Syrian refugees by praying for them, using your gifts to support them, and learning more facts about the Syrian refugee crisis.
