Syria at a Crossroads: The needs are enormous, but together we can give people hope

Recent developments have affirmed an already dire humanitarian crisis in a country where more than 16 million people need humanitarian assistance. Yet, the Syrian population looks ahead with cautious optimism. While needs and vulnerabilities persist, there is a hope that the changes may spark significant development in the country.

People want to return home. But where?

With the collapse of the Assad regime, formerly government-controlled areas are accessible to NGOs previously limited to northern Syria. This access has prompted people to return to their original homes after many years of displacement. However, the sustainability of these returnees is endangered by the devastation of places and the lack of local services.

Field Assessment: Uncovering Critical Needs in Newly Accessible Areas

Thanks to our long-standing presence on the ground, we—at People in Need—were able to respond to the evolving situation swiftly. Our teams conducted assessments in newly accessible areas. Despite significant logistical and coordination hurdles, our immediate response provided critical insights into the most pressing needs in the districts of Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and south Idlib.

These regions, like much of Syria, continue to suffer from severe shortages of humanitarian aid and basic services, leaving millions struggling to meet their daily needs.

The need for rehabilitation and reconstruction remains critical

Displaced Syrians face dire conditions, with 80% of displaced individuals being women and children and many residing in deteriorating shelters. The shelter situation in the selected areas has been severely impacted by 13 years of war, with widespread attacks and hostilities causing extensive damage to housing and infrastructure.

In the southern sub-districts of Idlib, over 90% of buildings were highly damaged, leaving many areas completely abandoned. Similarly, in Homs or Aleppo, entire neighbourhoods have been heavily impacted and, in some cases, rendered uninhabitable.

Furthermore, many people continue to live in damaged houses or buildings, and returnees' homes are often either destroyed or damaged, making it difficult for the displaced population to return.

Food insecurity is a daily reality

Across our selected sub-districts, 63% of the population has incurred debts merely to provide food. Half of the people we interviewed show that 51%-75% of households face daily food insecurity, with the other half reporting levels exceeding 76%. These statistics underscore widespread food shortages and a pressing need for humanitarian intervention and sustainable livelihood support.

Moreover, 63% of the population spends more than 80% of their income on food, highlighting extreme financial strain; the remainder spend half their income on food. “When I visited Aleppo, I found the living conditions of the people there to be miserable. People are fighting to secure their daily food. What makes things even more difficult is the lack of job opportunities,” says Aisha (46), from Aleppo.

Common coping strategies include selling assets, borrowing, reducing food quantity or quality, and sending children to work. Extreme measures, such as selling property or begging, are less frequent but signify acute vulnerability.

Severe water shortages

Our assessment highlights significant disparities in water access, sanitation, and solid waste management across all targeted sub-districts with slight variation, underscoring critical challenges in infrastructure and service provision. 88% of respondents report a reduction in the levels of water in wells over the past five years. Severe water shortages were reported as most residents rely on trucked water, which is costly and often unclean. “In addition to the destruction, there are no livelihood basics in our village. Even water is hard to get. It’s obtained by water trucks, which is extremely costly,” says Mahmoud, Breda in Southern Aleppo countryside.

Education faces significant challenges

Our findings identify significant challenges and priorities across the targeted sub-districts, focusing on access, infrastructure, and the quality of education. The most important barriers are economic: poverty, child labour, partially or destroyed schools, lack of textbooks, fuels, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and inadequate salaries for teachers. Education is also negatively affected by routes unsafe for travel, schools being used as shelters, and the practice of early marriage, family disintegration or missing documentation.

“The number of schools that have been damaged or destroyed is large, in addition to the poor infrastructure in schools. Moreover, many students dropped out of school to help provide for their families in light of the tragic living conditions. Teachers suffer from low salaries, as the teacher's salary does not exceed $30,” says Ibtisam, a teacher from Homs. Across the assessed districts, an average of 20% of schools remain non-operational. The response needs to focus on school repairs, heating and supplies, qualified teachers and additional learning space.

Most of the people cannot meet their needs

According to our respondents, 78% of households face a challenge due to income insufficient to meet basic needs. For example, bread is unaffordable. Shop owners struggle with low sales and debt.

The unemployment rate ranges between 51% and 70% in most of the assessed districts, while the rate reached 90% in some. Women constitute 41.6% of the workforce; they are primarily engaged in agriculture and manual labour. Some also work in education, healthcare, and administration.

Assessing Needs and Expanding Our Support in Newly Accessible Areas

With a strong presence on the ground, we continue to assess and address urgent humanitarian needs in newly accessible areas. Following comprehensive field evaluations, our teams identified critical needs for cash-based assistance to support host communities and returnees in Rural Aleppo. For immediate relief, we are providing Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) in selected areas, with four rounds of support at $150 per household per round for 800 households. This initiative helps families regain stability, meet essential needs, and mitigate financial hardships.

In addition to cash assistance, we are actively assessing the humanitarian situation in newly accessible areas to inform future programming. This includes evaluations of food security, livelihoods, nutrition, and other essential humanitarian activities to ensure a comprehensive, needs-based response. As conditions evolve, we remain committed to delivering lifesaving aid and sustainable support, helping affected communities rebuild their lives and secure a more stable future.

Action is needed now

However, these efforts barely scratch the surface of the overwhelming needs. “Our current response covers only a small portion of the actual needs. Meeting the scale of this crisis requires international solidarity and increased funding to provide real relief to millions of people living in harsh conditions,” says Wail Khazal, Country Director, People in Need Syria. “To mobilise funds, we are advocating for further support with traditional donors and also on coordination platforms,” he adds.

With millions of lives at stake, the temporary solutions are not enough for current Syria; we must act now. Greater international solidarity, increased funding, and sustained humanitarian efforts are not just needed—they are essential to secure safe conditions in many areas. Sustained effort will enable the Syrian people to rebuild the country and ensure a prosperous future. To help the people, we must turn empathy into action and plans into reality. Together, we can help Syria rebuild and give its people hope again.

People in Need in Syria

• For over a decade, we, People in Need (PIN), have been at the forefront of delivering lifesaving aid and long-term recovery programmes across northern Syria. With a deep-rooted presence in the region since 2012, Our work is driven by a commitment to support the most vulnerable communities, ensuring access to essential services, economic opportunities, and a path toward recovery.
• EDUCATION - INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
: Education is more than just learning—it is a foundation for hope and resilience. We support 80 schools and learning centres, reaching over 65,000 students with catch-up programmes, remedial education, and psychosocial support classes to help children rebuild their futures despite years of conflict.
• FOOD SECURITY: COMBATING HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION: Hunger remains one of the most pressing challenges for Syrian families. In 2024, we provided 145,000 people with critical food assistance via subsidised bread and supported people in hard-to-reach areas. By bolstering local food production and distribution, we are working to create sustainable solutions for food security.
• CASH-BASED ASSISTANCE: RESTORING DIGNITY AND CHOICE: 
Empowering people to make their own financial decisions is at the heart of our humanitarian approach. Through cash-based interventions, families receive Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance, food and non-food vouchers (both paper and electronic), and winterisation grants—offering flexibility to address the most urgent needs of 330,000 people across Northern Syria.
• LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT: BUILDING ECONOMIC RESILIENCE: 
Beyond immediate relief, we help communities rebuild their economic stability. With business grants and cash-for-work programs, we directly supported 1,800 individuals, fostering income-generating activities and long-term self-sufficiency. Additionally, 1,500 people—particularly women and marginalised groups—participate in self-help groups, gaining access to micro-loans and pooled savings funds to launch small businesses and improve their financial independence.
• A Decade of Dedication: 
In 2023 alone, we provided humanitarian assistance to nearly one million people, delivering over €67 million in aid. Behind these efforts is a dedicated team of approximately 600 staff, most of whom are local professionals, ensuring that support reaches communities most effectively and sustainably as possible.