The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, despite severe funding shortages, the UN and its humanitarian partners are continuing to respond to urgent needs in southern Syria, where they are delivering vital aid to communities amid harsh winter conditions. The US$3.2 billion humanitarian response plan for Syria is currently only 30 percent funded, with $953 million received as of mid-December.
A year after the change in government that occurred on December 8, 2024, the humanitarian crisis in Syria persists. The gap between humanitarian needs and available funding continues to grow. Some 70 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, including millions of extremely vulnerable Syrians.
One year after the fall of the Assad regime, millions of Syrians still face critical humanitarian needs. Escalating hostilities in southern governorates have significantly worsened humanitarian conditions. An additional 500,000 people have been identified as in need of assistance, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities in these areas.
According to an OCHA report released Monday, two weeks before the end of the year, aid agencies reached over 475,000 people in southern areas with assistance, including blankets, winter clothes, cash support, and winterization kits.
Since July, UN humanitarian convoys have delivered more than 1,600 truckloads of aid to As-Sweida, Daraa, and Rural Damascus. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners have increased distributions of winter supplies, and the World Food Programme (WFP) has supplied over 6,600 metric tons of wheat flour to sustain bakery operations.
Furthermore, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its health partners have deployed over 40 mobile medical teams, providing more than 150,000 medical procedures and treatment courses, and reaching nearly 30,000 individuals with nutrition services.
In addition, aid agencies working in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) have supported water trucking and maintenance, restoring access to water for over 200,000 people and distributing 78,000 liters of fuel to operate essential water facilities.
However, critical funding gaps and logistical constraints are restricting essential upgrades to water, sanitation, and hygiene; curtailing health and nutrition outreach; and delaying shelter rehabilitation, which leaves communities exposed to harsh winter conditions.
According to OCHA, the number of people displaced from the As-Sweida governorate has decreased by approximately 30,000 since late August. Currently, there are about 155,000 displaced individuals remaining, as well as an estimated 20,000 returnees, primarily to the As-Sweida and Shahba districts.
The security situation in southern Syria remains volatile, with sporadic incidents disrupting mobility and access, and explosive ordnance contamination continues to pose serious risks. In November, 24 casualties were reported, including 17 children. Clearance and risk education activities are ongoing as security and funding permit.
Syria crisis one year after change of government
The Syria crisis, began in 2011 and drastically changed the political landscape of the Middle Eastern country, continues to present major challenges. After longtime Syrian President al-Assad was ousted in December 2024, a new transitional government led by Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa took office.
However, Syria is still experiencing one of the world’s most severe and complex humanitarian crises, driven by protracted conflict, economic collapse, and climate-related disasters. More than 16.5 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2026, the same number as in 2025.
New developments continue to exacerbate existing needs or create new ones, including sporadic conflict, climatic shocks, and the large-scale return of displaced populations. Sporadic hostilities in 2025 continued in eastern rural Aleppo, the coastal governorates, and parts of the northeast and south.
The situation remains especially dire in north-west and northern Syria, where the cumulative impact of conflict, the February 2023 earthquake, and recurring climate shocks has resulted in the widespread destruction of infrastructure and essential services.
For over 14 years, Syrian civilians have endured massive and systematic violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Despite significant political changes in the country in recent months, the Syrian people continue to endure one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
The civil war has devastated Syria's economy and infrastructure, leaving millions without adequate housing or reliable access to water, electricity, and other basic services. Although there has been some progress, the country's humanitarian needs remain immense. Years of conflict have pushed 90 percent of the population into poverty.
Over half of the population — approximately 12.9 million people — suffers from food insecurity, with nearly 3 million experiencing severe food insecurity.
In a report released Monday, the WFP stated that it has reached 6.8 million people across the country so far in 2025, with a peak monthly reach of 3.5 million people through a highly prioritized plan focused on those most severely food insecure.
Overall, 1.2 million people received targeted emergency food and cash assistance; 2 million people benefited from daily fortified bread sold at a subsidized price in hunger hotspots; and the remainder were supported through livelihoods, school meals, and nutrition programs.
The UN agency warns that funding shortfalls amid rising humanitarian needs severely constrain its capacity to respond to Syria’s overlapping crises. Over the next six months, WFP requires $205 million to sustain operations and prevent large-scale suspension of programs.
According to the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2026, severe drought conditions continue to affect large parts of Syria. Of the estimated 8.1 million people impacted, 4.4 million are targeted for assistance through the May/June 2026 harvest season. Given the scale and persistence of the drought-like conditions, the humanitarian needs and response figures may rise further in 2026.
Meanwhile, Syria’s health system is under immense strain, with over one-third of hospitals operating only partially or not at all. Access to care for maternal health, newborns, and chronic diseases is extremely limited.
The Syria crisis resulted in one of the world's largest displacement crises, with over 13 million people forced to flee their homes in search of safety at its height. The fall of the Assad administration in December 2024 and Syria’s political transition marked a historic turning point and renewed hope for resolving the major displacement situation.
According to UNHCR, nearly 1.3 million refugees have voluntarily returned to Syria since December 2024, mostly from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, while over 1.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their areas of origin.
However, as of December 2025, some 12 million people remain displaced within the country, across the region, and beyond including in countries such as Germany, which is the largest non-neighboring host country. Among the displaced are an estimated 5 million refugees living abroad, and 7 million IDPs residing in communities as well as displacement sites.