For 10-year-old Hiba, the Child-Friendly Space is where she can simply be a child — drawing, playing games, and feeling safe. She participates in the World Vision program in Bab Al-Nour, a camp for displaced people in Azaz, Syria. Many children here can’t return home due to ongoing violence, but safe spaces like this one give girls and boys a chance to play, learn, and just be kids. (© 2025 World Vision/photo by Tim Swanston)
A makeshift fire is all a Syrian family has to keep warm during a cold winter day in northwest Syria, where an earthquake devastated the country’s border region with Turkey on February 6, 2023. (© 2023 World Vision)
Syria remains one of the largest displacement crises globally, with more than 13 million people forcibly displaced since the conflict began in 2011. Following a recent transition in the Syrian government in late 2024, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have started to return from other countries, hoping for greater stability. However, children of Syria continue to endure devastating hardships, including ongoing hostilities, repeated displacement, public health emergencies, and impacts from the destructive earthquake of 2023. Renewed fighting in northwest Syria in late November 2024 and continuing into 2025 has displaced more than 1.2 million people — the majority children and women — putting their lives and safety at risk.
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Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has forced millions of people from their homes, with most seeking safety and refuge in neighboring countries across the Middle East. Turkey hosts the largest Syrian refugee population, while many others have found safety in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.
The escalation of hostilities that began on November 28, 2024, has further strained citizens, infrastructure, and humanitarian access and operations. Following the transition in government in late 2024, more than 500,000 Syrians have returned from abroad, according to UNHCR estimates as of mid-May 2025. Within Syria, an additional 1.2 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities of origin.
Many returnees face significant challenges, including damaged infrastructure, limited services, and ongoing insecurity. Food scarcity is also a growing concern, with bakeries and markets struggling to operate. Public services and critical facilities, including hospitals, power stations, and water supplies, have been disrupted. Healthcare access is severely impacted as health facilities, including main hospitals, have been damaged or closed.
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The conflict has devastated Syria and its people:
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The February 6, 2023, earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northwest Syria deepened the struggles of displaced Syrians. The disaster worsened displacement, elevated hunger levels and malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare and educational support.
Learn more about World Vision’s response to help vulnerable families impacted by the 2023 earthquake.
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While Syrian refugees have sought asylum in more than 130 countries, most remain in nearby nations across the Middle East. Turkey hosts the largest share, with around 2.6 million Syrian refugees, followed by significant populations in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.
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The war has had a devastating impact on the children of Syria. According to UNICEF, approximately 7.5 million children in Syria urgently need humanitarian aid, with millions forced to flee their homes as refugees. Many Syrian children have never known a time without war. Here’s how the war in Syria is affecting Syrian children today.
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World Vision is responding to the surge in displacement and humanitarian needs across the region and in Syria, working closely with local partners to reach those most affected. From September 30, 2024, to February 28, 2025, World Vision supported over 1.2 million people, prioritizing the well-being of children and families.
After the devastating February 6, 2023, earthquake, we launched more than 50 projects in partnership with local organizations, supporting nearly 1.8 million people. Our earthquake response programs covered a range of critical areas, including child protection; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); livelihoods; health; nutrition; education; and more. Some key highlights of our work include:
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World Vision has served in the Middle East region for nearly four decades. We’re dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and the communities where they live through long-term sustainable development and responding to disasters and crises.
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You can help Syrian refugees by praying for them, using your gifts to support them, and learning more facts about the Syrian refugee crisis.
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