Syrian Refugees and Other Vulnerable Populations Appeal

Fourteen years into the Syria crisis, nearly 5 million Syrian refugees reside in the Middle East and North Africa region, with more than 3 million in Türkiye, 774,697 in Lebanon, 621,182 in Jordan, 292,419 in Iraq, 158,406 in Egypt and 43,283 in North Africa. Host countries struggle tointegrate refugees due to existing macroeconomic challenges. At the same time, anti-refugee sentiment is rising in Türkiye. In Jordan, poverty among refugees has increased significantly since 2021 – by 10 per cent in host communities and 22 per cent in camps. Female-headed households make up one fourth of the camp population in Jordan and face heightened vulnerabilities. This difficult socioeconomic landscape poses serious risks to children's well-being, increasing the likelihood of negative coping strategies including child labour, child marriage and school dropout.

While host governments continue to generously accommodate Syrian refugees, achieving self-reliance and durable solutions for these refugees remains challenging. Legal status, restrictive policies and limited access to documentation hinder refugees' participation in society and their socioeconomic inclusion. Access to basic services and livelihood opportunities is inconsistent, and social protection schemes are often limited and hard to access. Consequently, long-term solutions are scarce, complicating life for both refugees and host communities.

New conflicts and natural disasters have compounded the ongoing Syria crisis in the region. In Türkiye, since the onset of the Syria crisis, the government has shown its commitment to hosting Syrians under temporary protection, bearing most of the financial burden related to the refugee response. However, as the displacement situation persists, with few prospects for durable solutions, Türkiye requires ongoing international support to share these responsibilities. The conflict in the Sudan forced more than 1 million people to flee to neighbouring countries, including Egypt, where many refugees, especially children and individuals with disabilities, face increased vulnerabilities. Additionally, rising irregular migration from the Syrian Arab Republic has strained community networks and public services in Egypt. Meanwhile, escalating hostilities in the State of Palestine have spilled over into Lebanon, raising concerns about broader regional impacts in Egypt, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic.

Ecological degradation, water insecurity, desertification and rising temperatures threaten natural resources and infrastructure, exacerbated by population growth, poverty and displacement. Climate change continues to heighten needs and vulnerabilities, which could potentially result in escalating tensions between refugees and host communities. Ongoing conflicts and other humanitarian crises, along with climate change, deepen gender disparities, disproportionately affecting women and girls.

UNICEF’s humanitarian response in Egypt, Jordan and Türkiye aligns with its mandate, the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) and country response plans. The response employs two simultaneous approaches to support Syrian refugees and other vulnerable populations in these countries: providing urgent relief and addressing longer-term needs. UNICEF focuses on durable solutions, enhancing local and national capacities and advocating for the integration of refugees and migrants into national systems. 

UNICEF is the global cluster lead agency for the WASH and Nutrition clusters and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility, as well as co-lead for the Education Cluster. International frameworks and local contexts inform UNICEF's efforts to integrate gender equality into humanitarian initiatives, focusing on enhancing the leadership and agency of girls and women. Providing age-, ability-, and gender-sensitive services for children, youth and their families is vital across all aspects of UNICEF’s response. 

UNICEF continues to offer cash transfers and social protection as critical strategies to help refugees and vulnerable households access essential commodities. In education, key interventions support children's right to learn by integrating refugee children into the national education system, helping vulnerable children access safe learning environments and strengthening leadership capacity for managing education services. Sustainable energy solutions reduce operational costs and keep schools open, while flexible pathways, including income-generation and social entrepreneurship skills, support the transition of adolescents and youth from learning to earning.

UNICEF collaborates with national and local water management systems to deliver WASH services to refugee camps and informal settlements. This includes distribution of emergency hygiene kits. Communities at high risk of the adverse impacts of climate change receive support through climate-resilient WASH services, 27 including access to such essential health services as life-saving immunizations, antenatal and postnatal care and treatment for severe wasting. UNICEF engages various platforms to implement essential nutrition interventions aimed at preventing malnutrition and improving feeding practices. 

To enhance well-being, UNICEF strengthens child protection service delivery, case management and psychosocial support for those affected by harmful practices and sexual and gender-based violence. Safe and accessible feedback channels improve risk mitigation and responsive mechanisms, protecting children and adolescents from child labour, child marriage and other forms of exploitation. Principles of social and behaviour change, along with risk communication and community engagement, guide transformative interventions that promote social cohesion and participation. Needs assessments and rapid gender analyses support robust emergency preparedness systems at national and local levels.