Syrian Arab Republic Appeal

Since December 2024, the Syrian Arab Republic has undergone a political transition and evolving governance arrangements that have improved humanitarian access and reduced conflict-related constraints, including in previously inaccessible areas. However, these gains have yet to translate into tangible improvements in the lives of most Syrians, particularly children. Early recovery remains limited, as extreme poverty affects one in four Syrians. With the modest economic growth of 1 per cent in 2025, the economy remains fragile and insufficient to address widespread vulnerability and the cumulative impact of more than 14 years of conflict.

Humanitarian needs across the country remain extremely high, with an estimated 15.6 million people requiring humanitarian assistance, including 7.2 million children Needs are driven by persistent displacement, localized escalations, climate shocks and regional conflict spillover, limiting access to essential services for affected populations. These are further exacerbated by deepening economic challenges – including inflation, exchange rate volatility, unemployment and liquidity constraints – and severely degraded public services. Explosive ordnance contamination continues to threaten children and has killed 252 children and injured 601 since December 2024.

Displacements in the Syrian Arab Republic remain widespread, with more than 5 million internally displaced persons. There are around 833,000 residing in 1,226 camp sites, while the majority of those displaced live outside the camps in precarious conditions. Renewed violence in Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa and Al-Hasakeh in early 2026 displaced more than 170,000 people; and conflict escalations in Lebanon forced 336,000 people to cross into the Syrian Arab Republic after 2 March 2026. The July 2025 escalation of conflict in As-Sweida Governorate prompted a large-scale displacement of 187,000 people. In 2025, approximately 3.7 million refugees and internally displaced persons (57 per cent children) returned to the country and/or to their areas of origin, with returns continuing in 2026, placing additional strain on resources that are already overstretched.

Basic services in the country remain critically constrained. Only 57 per cent of hospitals and 30 per cent of primary healthcare centres are fully operational, limiting access to life-saving healthcare. Neonatal mortality accounts for 50 per cent of under-five mortality, and the country has more than 150,000 zero-dose children. Malnutrition is increasing, threatening children's survival and development. Wasting prevalence is at 5.5 per cent among children under age 5, with an estimated 587,000 children requiring treatment, including 96,000 children severely wasted, while stunting affects nearly 592,000 children.

Access to safe water remains a major challenge, with 10 million people unable to meet basic water needs. Water scarcity, inadequate sanitation and hygiene gaps continue to drive the occurrence of water-borne diseases. Climate shocks – including drought-like conditions, increasingly erratic rainfall and flooding across the Northern governorates, along the Euphrates, and in coastal regions – have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities.

The education sector remains in a state of emergency. There are 2.7 million children out of school; around 8,000 schools are non-functional. Overcrowding persists, with schools in some areas continuing to be used as shelters. 

Protection risks are acute, with 6.2 million children in need of child protection services. Displacement and overcrowded conditions are heightening risks of violence, including sexual violence, abuse and reduced safety and dignity. Economic hardships are leading to adverse coping strategies that negatively impact children, including delaying healthcare and withdrawing children from school.

Guided by the Humanitarian Reset, UNICEF is prioritizing a focused, child-centred response in the Syrian Arab Republic that addresses immediate, severe, protracted and prioritized needs. In line with the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for the country, which identifies 15.6 million people in need and targets 8.6 million for assistance, UNICEF will reach 6.9 million people, including 4 million children. This focus is on vulnerable children, women and families in areas of severity scale 4 and 3. Compared with UNICEF's original 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal, this revised appeal reduces targets by 5 per cent and funding requirements by 10 per cent, reflecting sharper prioritization, efficiency and high-impact programming. 

To fulfil its mandate, UNICEF will deliver life-saving services, including protection services, linked to early recovery, resilience and peacebuilding. UNICEF will sustain its coordination leadership in the nutrition, WASH and education sectors and the child protection area of responsibility under the protection sector, while supporting internally displaced persons, returnees and vulnerable host communities; advancing localization; and expanding partnerships.

UNICEF will apply a twin-track approach that combines emergency response with system strengthening. Improving resilience and preparedness through national and subnational systems underpins UNICEF's multisectoral response. Risk-informed, conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive programming will reach the most vulnerable children, including children with disabilities.

UNICEF supports high-quality life-saving health services, including for newborns and children, through a continuum of outreach, community engagement, restoration of local health systems and strengthening health workers' capacity to respond to health emergencies. Nutrition priorities include preventive and curative services integrated within the health system, as part of multisectoral support for children and women.

WASH programming ensures equitable and sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services; climate-informed water resource management; and system strengthening to enhance resilience and governance and mitigate the impacts of shocks.

UNICEF’s education programme strategically prioritizes safe, inclusive and uninterrupted learning for conflict‑affected, returnee and host-community children by expanding access to formal and non‑formal education. This is complemented by strengthened teacher capacity and system‑level investments, including in preparedness and anticipatory action, to reinforce resilient and adaptive national education systems.

Child protection interventions prevent and respond to violence, including gender-based violence, through case management. UNICEF supports children at risk and survivors of violence, exploitation and abuse through community-based mental health and psychosocial support; strengthens positive parenting; and improves awareness about explosive ordnance risk education. UNICEF is working to strengthen systems to respond to shocks and displacement.

Humanitarian cash assistance and shock-responsive social protection will support vulnerable families with younger children, prioritizing children with disabilities. UNICEF will also support adolescent livelihoods and link cash to sustainable pathways that build youth resilience. 

Adolescent and youth programming also prioritizes skills development, protection and education-to-employment pathways, while promoting youth participation and strengthening preparedness to maintain services for vulnerable adolescents.

UNICEF uses inclusive, evidence-based and data-driven programming to prioritize its response and reach the most vulnerable children. 

Social and behaviour change approaches promote informed decision-making, safe practices and demand for services. At the same time, they strengthen community engagement through supporting community networks and platforms, fostering social cohesion and promoting accountability to affected populations and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.

UNICEF will maintain its sector leadership role, supporting coordinated planning and response with the Government and other partners and promoting child-focused interventions, while strengthening localization.