Syria Refugee Crisis
Zahida and her children fled their family home in Syria when their street came under attack.
Their neighbourhood was destroyed and they fled to a refugee camp across the border in Jordan. Zahida is now focused on survival and giving her children a future.
Photo: ©UNHCR/Houssam Hariri
Families like Zahida’s are trapped in extreme poverty, exhausted and traumatised by nine long years of conflict.
Please help deliver relief to support them.
Shelter
to help protect families fleeing bombs and bullets
Cash Assistance
to help families cover basic survival costs like rent and medicine
Education
to keep children in school
What’s happening in Syria?
Daily horrors, devastation and upheavals at an unimaginable scale makes Syria the largest humanitarian emergency of our era.
Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond. Over 6 million more are displaced inside Syria. And as war continues, hope is fading fast.
UNHCR is leading a coordinated effort across the region to protect Syrians who have been forced to flee. This includes emergency relief and shelter for those escaping escalations in the conflict, and ongoing care such as education and healthcare.
Where are most refugees currently living?
3.6 million refugees are hosted in Turkey alone, the largest number of registered Syrian refugees. Neighbouring countries like Lebanon and Jordan have also seen a vast influx, as well as Egypt. Most displaced Syrian families are scattered across urban areas, struggling to survive. Many others have now been living in formal refugee camps for several years.
More than a million refugees remain in Lebanon and 70 per cent live below the poverty line. There are no formal refugee camps, so Syrian refugees are living throughout the country. These families are often forced to share accommodations with other refugee families in overcrowded and basic conditions.
Why can’t more people return home?
With the war ongoing and bombs still falling, it’s very dangerous for families in Syria. Millions have lost their homes, communities and loved ones, so are often unwilling—or unable—to risk the journey back. In some areas, conflict has abated, but returns are not yet possible as buildings and utilities have been completely destroyed, and threats such as mines need to be cleared.
Why do we need public support?
After years of conflict, many Syrians have long exhausted any precious savings they were able to take with them when fleeing. They are now trapped in extreme poverty. With more than 11 million Syrians displaced, public support has never been more vital. Every donation helps a Syrian refugee survive, recover and take steps to rebuild their lives until they can return home safely.
Where is UNHCR on the ground?
We are working inside Syria and in neighbouring countries across the region—delivering life-saving humanitarian aid to displaced families and supporting the efforts of host countries.
UNHCR provides life-saving assistance for Syrian refugees. We are providing cash assistance to help purchase medicine and food, stoves and fuel to help provide heat, as well as blankets and winter clothing to provide extra warmth. For internally displaced persons within Syria, we are providing shelter kits and non-food items, protection services and psychosocial support.
Where can I access the latest data and reports?
Syrian Operations—for latest on UNHCR’s relief work to protect displaced people inside Syria.
Syria Situation Portal—for latest updates on the crisis overall, including UNHCR situation reports, funding requirements and UNHCR’s support for neighbouring countries taking in refugees from Syrian refugees.
Did you know 1 in 3 Syrian children have lived their whole lives amidst the crisis?
Mariam and her children fled their home when airstrikes destroyed their neighbourhood.
Her eldest son, Mohammad, was gravely injured during the shelling and paralysed. The family lost everything they owned and are now refugees in Jordan.
Support from UNHCR donors is funding survival cash assistance, which helps Mariam cover basics such as rent, food and school materials for her younger children.
Photo: ©UNHCR/Hannah Maule-ffinch
Donate Today
Please help Syrian refugee families in need.
Donate Today
Please help Syrian refugee families in need.