About Us
An estimated 13.52 million people, including six million children are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. 6.5 million People, including 2.8 million children, are displaced within Syria, of which 4.8 million are in besieged and hard-to-reach areas and 4.2 million are registered refugees in neighbouring countries and North Africa.
UNHCR started its operations in Syria with the first Iraqi war in 1991 and expanded its operation exponentially with the massive influx of Iraqi refugees in the middle of the last decade.
In 2012, with the escalation of the crisis in Syria, UNHCR expanded the scope of its operations to respond to the humanitarian needs of increasing number of internally displaced persons and other populations affected.
To date, UNHCR in cooperation with partner International and National NGOs undertake programmes aiming at reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing protection, through a wide range of community-based activities, with particular focus on the neediest and most vulnerable population groups.
In 2015, UNHCR reached more than 850,000 individuals though protection and community services interventions, including through capacity building of its partners. UNHCR has provided targeted material assistance, socio-economic and recreational activities, psychosocial support, legal aid, gender-based violence referral, child protection services, community based initiatives as well as awareness raising sessions on various issues, ranging from residency procedures to prevention of gender-based violence and early marriages in Syria. The collective efforts of Protection sector partners, which UNHCR coordinates as the sector lead agency, benefited more than 3.5 million internally displaced persons.
So far, UNHCR supported 30 community centers in 9 governorates. All interventions of the community centers are designed to focus attention in particular on persons with specific needs with activities such as counseling, education, livelihood, vocational training, primary health and psychosocial support activities. Over 1,000 beneficiaries per month are supported by UNHCR and partners with a variety of protection services through a community center.
In response to the rapid displacement, UNHCR Syria dispatched over 9 million core relief items in 2015 to 3.2 million needy individuals in 12 out of the 14 governorates including cross border convoys from Turkey and Jordan, provided cash assistance to some 23,000 families, delivered shelter assistance to more than 60,000 individuals and ensured nearly 800,000 individuals had access to healthcare.
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Desperate needs and pleas for safe passage out of Raqqa
8 Jul 2017UNHCR’s Representative in Syria, Sajjad Malik, travelled to Raqqa governorate and met with Syrians who have fled the besieged city. Malik heard from people in desperate need as he visited the Ein Issa camp on Saturday – with people pleading for safe passage for the family left behind.
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Refugees and UNHCR’s Syria staff celebrate World Refugee Day 2017
5 Jul 2017The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Syria marked the World Refugee Day (WRD) with different events highlighting refugees’ resilience and talents and UNHCR’s role in assisting them.
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UNHCR helps displaced students apply for their final 9th grade public exams
4 Jun 2017The Syria crisis made it difficult for students to attend their final exams in many parts of the country, UNHCR together with partners made it possible for these students to sit for the 9th-grade exams.
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Displaced by War, Syrians Endure Poor Living Conditions in Shelters
12 May 2017Like millions of others caught up in Syria’s brutal conflict, Ayyoush a 72-year-old Syrian displaced woman wants to go back home
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Street lights, provide protection and enhance social life in Aleppo
8 May 2017Since last February nine Community Based Initiatives took place in Karm AL-Sabbagh neighborhood in east Aleppo to fix lights on columns and walls at the crossings around the streets.
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Torn-apart by the War, a Displaced Woman Finds Relief
8 Mar 2017Between staying in Syria with her elderly parents or leaving to Germany to her husband and son, Nijat was left with a difficult choice.
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Syria In Focus
2 Mar 2017Monthly update on UNHCR Syria activities, current interventions, partner activities and the stories of beneficiaries themselves.
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UNHCR helps displaced Syrians rebuild their ruined homes
26 Feb 2017Shelter rehabilitation scheme has helped some 11,000 people to refurbish homes destroyed by war, with plan to more than double support this year
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Community Centers Provide Protection and Releif to Displaced Syrians
21 Feb 2017Community Centres are safe public places where Syrian women, men, boys and girls of diverse backgrounds can benefit from a variety of protection services.
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In the Old city of Aleppo, displaced return with good will
26 Jan 2017“Our good will is to preserve and restore the old souks and khans to what it had been for centuries”