Syrian Arab Republic

After 11 years of crisis, most Syrians continue to face a continued humanitarian decline. The country still has the world’s largest number of internally displaced people of 6.8 million people.

At the end of 2022, almost 7 out of 10 people in Syria needed assistance, the largest number of people in need since the crisis began. However, the devastating earthquakes of February 2023 affected nearly 9 million people. The damage is worst in the north-west, where more than 4.2 million people have been affected in Aleppo and 3 million people in Idleb.

Humanitarian indicators in Syria continue to deteriorate. Basic services are collapsing, there is an ongoing cholera outbreak, economic indicators are worsening, and climate and human-caused shocks are compounding an already dire situation, making people even more vulnerable. 

The impact of the earthquakes, localized hostilities, the economic crisis, and the water crisis and public health emergencies, including cholera and extreme weather-related situations, are expected to be the main drivers of humanitarian need in 2023. In addition, international and regional geopolitical dynamics could have serious implications on needs across the country, especially in the case of a non-renewal of the UN Security Council resolution authorizing the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to parts of Syria. 

In 2023, the humanitarian community will continue to provide life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to 13 million people – more than half of the country’s population. It is critical to address the drivers of needs, including protection threats, continued rights violations, accelerating economic deterioration, limited or unavailable basic services and environmental shocks.