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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Aleppo – Hard pressed to cope
5 Jan 2017Survivors of fighting from East Aleppo are recovering amid harsh winter conditions, collective shelters of Jibreen, Aleppo.
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The Lives of the People of Aleppo; their Hardship and their Hope
28 Dec 2016Amidst destruction and damage to most of the city, they went to check on their homes, only to find their homes in ruins after years of fighting.
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UNHCR first visit to the ancient parts of the war torn city of Aleppo
21 Dec 2016UNHCR staff enter the ancient city of Aleppo, a World Heritage Site since 1986.
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Aleppo – behind the numbers
18 Dec 2016Frontline humanitarian workers capture the heartache and hopes of the recently displaced.
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UNHCR’s Legal Aid was Life Changing for a Displaced Syrian Mother
12 Dec 2016Hamdiya almost gave up to a bitter choice for the sake of her children, until she was introduced to UNHCR’s legal aid programme.
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UNHCR is equipping Syria’s displaced persons with livelihood kits
14 Nov 2016The UNHCR’s livelihood toolkits contain essential elements. Carpenters, like Kamal, received an electric drill, hacksaws and other tools needed for their profession.
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Targeting Syrian Boys and Girls with Quality Education
10 Nov 2016UNHCR reached 80,000 students with educational assistance so far in 2016, thanks to donors like Educate A Child, and implementing partners like PU (Premiere Urgence).
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Refugees
7 Jul 2016Our primary purpose at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee.
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Internally Displaced People
7 Jul 2016Internally displaced people, or IDP, are among the world’s most vulnerable people. Unlike refugees, IDP have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries.