Download the Whole of Syria Protection Sector key advocacy messages for the Fifth Brussels Conference – Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, March 2021.
After 10 years of devastating conflict, now compounded by an unprecedented economic and public health crisis, protection needs among the population in Syria have escalated dramatically.
Millions of civilians in Syria are facing diverse and interlinked protection needs, driven by the impact of active hostilities, new displacements, and dynamics linked to return. Combined, the stress on already overburdened communities is dire.
Beyond the widespread violations of International Humanitarian Law in the north, and dysfunctional civil services exacerbating Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) issues, disruption to community and family safety networks is intensifying risks to the most vulnerable:
• Girls and boys of all ages are exposed to multiple and daily protection risks and violations of their rights. In 2020, 2,388 grave child rights violations were recorded, including children being killed, tortured, detained, attacked at school or in hospitals, recruited by all parties to the conflict, sexually abused, and denied humanitarian access.
• Women and girls are facing increasing intimate partner and family violence, forced marriage and subsequent pregnancies, and sexual violence and exploitation. Adolescent girls are subjected to forced puberty to marry them off at younger ages. Adolescent girls make up to 30% of antenatal care and delivery services.
• Over half the population (1 in 2), live in areas affected by explosive ordnance. Lack of alternative livelihoods is forcing more people to adopt unsafe behaviours to generate any form of income, including farming land, removing rubble, and collecting metal for trade in areas where explosive remnants of war are present.
Protection must be at the forefront of funding if we are to deliver sustainable solutions responsive to the needs of communities.