Fact sheets
A total of
980,359
people in need received our assistance in 2017.
Humanitarian overview
Seven years into the war, the scale of humanitarian needs across Syria remain overwhelming, with 13.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite so-called de-escalation agreements, violence continues to affect the lives of countless civilians.
In Syria, 1.75 million children are currently out of school, and one in four schools have been damaged or destroyed. Widespread destruction of civil registries across the country have reduced access to civil documentation.
Around 7.2 million people in Syria are food insecure. Food prices are five times higher than before the war broke out in 2011, and many people struggle to pay for basic goods. Meanwhile, displacement has led to over-crowding and rising rents. Over one million people live in shelters of last resort' such as schools, public buildings, mosques, camps or makeshift accommodation.
Around 6.5 million Syrians have sought refuge around the world, most of them in neighbouring countries. Very few have dared to return to Syria. Without a political solution, Syrians continue to bear the brunt of ongoing hostilities.
NRC's operation
NRC is one of only a few agencies operating across all of Syria. Against a backdrop of intense conflict, we work to provide emergency, transitional and longer-term assistance to people in need.
We lead advocacy efforts to promote unimpeded and sustained access to humanitarian assistance for people in Syria. We advocate against, and work to prevent, unsafe and premature returns to and within Syria, and advocate for increased humanitarian funding to alleviate the hardships of the Syrian people.
Education
Our teams ensure education is prioritised, even in the most difficult circumstances. We work alongside communities to:
- rehabilitate learning spaces and build makeshift schools
- create opportunities for children to return to school or access education through self-learning initiatives
- distribute teaching and student learning materials
- provide skills training for Syrian youth
Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)
Our ICLA teams:
- deliver information and legal counselling on issues of civil documentation legal identity
- provide information on the services available in the concerned areas of displacement
- offer legal assistance regarding land, housing and property rights
Livelihoods and food security
Many families struggle to gain a reliable income to meet their most basic needs. We:
- provide emergency food rations
- work to strengthen food production and income generating opportunities
Shelter and settlements
NRC supports both newly displaced people and people living in camps or informal settlements. We:
- deliver emergency assistance including tents, blankets and household items
- provide shelter upgrades and communal lighting, site improvements, walkways and drainage
- rehabilitate damaged and sub-standard housing
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) promotion
Our WASH teams:
- distribute hygiene kits, which include soap, washing powder and sanitary items
- provide and upgrade temporary water and sanitation facilities in emergencies
- support waste management in camps and informal settlements
- rehabilitate and install essential water and sanitation facilities at the community level
- Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NFMA)
- European Union (DG ECHO, DG NEAR)
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
- Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC)
- USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)
- UNHCR
- UNICEF
- Norwegian National Telethon
