Syrian Arab Republic

Overview

Inside Syria, there are:

• 16.7 million people in need; and
• 7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Additionally, 5.6 million Syrian refugees are registered in host countries across the region.

 In the region, there are:

• 3.1 million in Türkiye (as of July 2024)
• 814,715 in Lebanon (as of 31 December 2022)
• 661,670 in Jordan (as of 31 January 2023)
• 258,541 in Iraq (as of 31 December 2022)
• 145,157 in Egypt (as of 30 November 2022)

All refugee figures are based on the most recent updates provided by UNHCR, available here.

After 13 years of conflict, the crisis in Syria continues to affect the lives of millions. Seven million people are internally displaced country-wide, while 5.6 million Syrians remain as refugees in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. 

Affected populations face mounting challenges due to prolonged and protracted displacement, poor living conditions, restricted economic opportunities, and limited humanitarian access. These conditions have been made worse by the ongoing financial crises, exacerbating the existing vulnerabilities of affected populations. 

Humanitarian needs in northwest Syria are especially dire, where more than 4.2 million people continue to need humanitarian assistance, and 3.4 million are internally displaced across Idleb and northern Aleppo. 7 in 10 people are food insecure. Displaced persons continue to endure extremely difficult living conditions, with limited access to basic needs, livelihood, health, and WASH facilities.

IOM responds to support resilience and decrease dependency for displaced Syrians and host communities, who together face a compounding and multifaceted crisis. IOM assistance is needs-based, inclusive, and principled upon the Humanitarian Imperative above all else.

Migration Activities

Cross-Border Response

In 2014, IOM started its cross-border programme from Türkiye into Northwest Syria, with a focus on the procurement, storage, shipment and distribution of lifesaving humanitarian relief items. Since then, the programme has grown to include humanitarian activities in five different sectors – shelter, non-food items (NFI) and operations, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), protection, and early recovery and livelihoods. Additionally, IOM has implemented activities in camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), food security and health.

IOM works with implementing partners in NWS to deliver assistance and ensure that standards and protocols are followed during the implementation of all its activities.

As of September 2024, IOM’s 2024 Crisis Response Plan for the Syrian Arabic Republic is only 17 per cent funded.

Learn more about the programme here.

Humanitarian and Development Response in Neighboring Countries

IOM and its partners continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable Syrian refugees and crisis-affected host communities in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.  Though the scale of need far outweighs available resources across the region, IOM prioritizes the provision of lifesaving assistance such as shelter, food, water, and healthcare to increase access to basic services, livelihoods, education, legal aid, psychosocial support, and social integration. 

To read more about IOM’s regional humanitarian interventions concerning the Syria Crisis, please refer to the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Response Plan 2024.

In recognizing the protracted nature of the crisis and resulting displacement of those seeking protection outside of Syria, IOM supports building the resilience of displacement-affected communities through:

• Climate-smart and market-driven livelihoods;
• Access to basic services and sustainable national service provision; and
• Complementary pathways.

IOM works with local and international organizations to provide this support, coordinating closely with the communities served while supporting the capacity of local and national institutions. IOM also continues to advocate for greater international commitment to address the needs of those most affected by this crisis. 

While humanitarian needs both in Syria and in refugee-hosting areas are at an all-time high, access and resources continue to decrease. IOM and its partners remain committed to delivering assistance to populations in need and will continue to engage with stakeholders at all levels to ensure a meaningful response. 

Donors 

• Austria
• Canada
• European Union
• France
• Germany
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
• Japan
• Republic of Korea
• Qatar
• Switzerland
• Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF)
• United States of America

IOM works with local and international organizations to provide this support, coordinating closely with the communities served while supporting the capacity of local and national institutions.