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Syria

The humanitarian impacts of the conflict in Syria

A group of people in red uniforms working in front of a destruction site
(Photo credit: Syrian Arab Red Crescent)

For more than a decade, the conflict in Syria has caused large-scale destruction. The impacts of the Syrian refugee crisis have reverberated around the world and the conflict has seen a shocking disregard for the laws of armed conflict. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), half of all Syrians have been displaced by conflict, both inside the country and abroad.

The impacts of years of conflict, mass displacement, natural disasters, economic deterioration and insufficient healthcare services have created an extremely complex humanitarian crisis throughout the country. There are more than 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of whom are children.

Basic services, especially healthcare, are extremely limited. Only half of Syria’s public health facilities are fully functional, with attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel occurring repeatedly over the last decade. Under such unstable conditions, many pregnant people have had to plan for childbirth by caesarian to ensure their access to health facilities. This is a major surgery with a lengthy recovery, and as with any surgery, there can be complications.

All of these issues compound the impacts of the conflict, exposing the people of Syria to repeated trauma and extreme stress. They have seen their houses, schools and hospitals destroyed, and many do not know the whereabouts of their loved ones.

People are increasingly in need of help to get through each day, yet international support for Syria is declining and is insufficient to meet humanitarian needs.

How the Canadian Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent are responding

 A woman wearing a white headscarf and red uniform helps a child in a wheelchair
(Photo credit: Mari Aftret Mortvedt / ICRC)


The Syrian Arab Red Crescent was working on the frontline across Syria long before the conflict started, and continues to provide food, household items and life-saving health services to people in need. As a member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is a neutral and impartial organization guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross.

The Canadian Red Cross has actively supported the Syrian Arab Red Crescent since 2015, focusing on healthcare needs and emergency response services.

This support has included activities such as:

  • Supporting the Syrian Arab Red Crescent children’s hospital in Aleppo by providing incubators and life-saving surgeries for children.
  • Financial support to cover treatment costs for pregnant people to safely deliver their babies.
  • Quality access to maternal health, childcare, family planning, education on breast feeding, postnatal care, and sexual reproductive health rights after delivering a newborn.
  • Community-based outreach and monitoring of malnutrition, as well as nutrition services, support, and referrals.
  • Strengthening the Syrian Arab Red Crescent’s capacity in public health emergencies, as well as response during disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

2023 earthquake

In the aftermath of the devastating February 2023 earthquake that impacted Türkiye and Syria, the Canadian Red Cross supported a mobile clinic deployment to Syria. The Canadian Red Cross provided technical expertise to support the Syrian Arab Red Crescent transition the mobile clinic response into a new Public Health in Emergencies unit, as well as a Medical Emergency Response Unit that can respond to health emergencies. We also helped facilitate the Syrian Arab Red Crescent’s first national-level Public Health in Emergencies training in February 2024, and are continuing to work with them to develop additional tools to enhance their ability to respond to emergencies.

Learn more about how donations to the Türkiye-Syria earthquake fund helped the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement respond to the devastating earthquakes in 2023.

Your donation in action – Türkiye-Syria Earthquake appeal donor report

How you can help people in Syria

A seated woman holding a baby is seated beside a child and woman in a Red Cross shirt
(Photo credit: Courtney Wilson / Canadian Red Cross)

Violence continues to impact Syria, and millions of people have been displaced from their homes or have fled the country. Life-saving humanitarian aid for Syria is needed more than ever.

As the humanitarian needs in Syria and surrounding countries continue to grow, the Canadian Red Cross is committed to continuing our support to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent by helping them respond to the needs of the Syrian population.

People in Canada who are wanting to help people in Syria can support Red Cross and Red Crescent relief efforts in response to the Syria Crisis by making a financial donation to the Syria Crisis Fund.

Donate to the Syria Crisis Fund

Funds raised will go to support emergency efforts by the Red Cross Movement. This may include relief items (for example, blankets, sleeping mats, food parcels and hygiene items), medical supplies, equipment and deploying emergency personnel. This fund will cover numerous countries, including those currently affected, and those potentially affected in the future.

Our humanitarian efforts in Syria – and across the world – are guided by the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Fundamental Principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality. Our mission to alleviate human suffering, protect life and health, and uphold human dignity, especially during armed conflicts and other emergencies.