The Syrian people have been living with war since 2011, the year that marked the beginning of an internal conflict that has caused destruction and the flight of millions of people, as well as a high number of casualties, injuries, and displaced persons. Despite alternating periods of apparent calm and attempts to achieve stability over the years, the socio-economic and political situation in the country remains very complex, even after and despite the change of government in December 2024.
The humanitarian figures show the extent of the problem: according to the latest analysis by OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), 16.5 million people need aid, more than 1.5 million are internally displaced and more than 600,000 refugees have returned to Syria since the end of last year with the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s decade-long rule. Even today, a large part of the population is homeless and without access to basic services such as medical care, drinking water, food, and education.
A country amid a regional crisis
The regional conflict in the Middle East, which since October 2023 has seen indiscriminate attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Lebanon – as well as several incidents involving Yemen, Iran, and Syria itself – is having repercussions on the search for internal political and social balance in Syria. This was particularly evident during the clashes that took place in recent months between the Bedouin and Druze populations in the south of the country, specifically in the southern region of al-Suwaida, which were followed by Israeli military intervention with targeted attacks, ending with a ceasefire between the parties.
Internal hostilities are also frequent in coastal areas and north-eastern Syria, causing numerous deaths and injuries among the civilian population, thousands of displaced persons, and extensive damage to infrastructure, including essential facilities such as hospitals and schools. Complicating this crisis further, humanitarian access to the affected areas remains severely limited, hampering efforts to aid the thousands of people involved.
The difficulties of rebuilding after years of internal conflict
With the end of the decade-long conflict and the change of government, hope for real change has spread among the Syrian population, both among those who had found refuge in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
However, returning home weighs heavily on the country’s fragile economic system. Although reconstruction initiatives have been launched, humanitarian needs remain high and alarming. ‘After years of war, most of the structures and infrastructure have been razed to the ground, severely damaged, or rendered unusable. If we could draw up a scale of priorities for intervention, we would have to start by ensuring a safe and dignified return for displaced persons, while at the same time responding to the urgent humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable groups,’ says Vincenzo Merlino, head of several INTERSOS projects in Syria.
In addition to the shortage of functioning facilities, especially in the medical field, there is a severe shortage of specialised personnel. Recent data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 70% of doctors have left the country since the beginning of the Syrian crisis.
Since the end of 2024, returns from neighbouring countries or Europe and the internal movement of people from one region to another in search of better life opportunities have highlighted how communities’ needs are linked to the concept of reconstruction.
The return to Syria brings with it the risk of new local conflicts, as Merlino explains: ‘The Syrian conflict has also caused serious damage in terms of the recognition of property rights, which have been severely compromised by widespread violations including: cases of illegal occupation and confiscation of property, forced evictions and other complications due to the opacity of institutional processes and services.’
Many internally displaced persons do not have the proper documentation to assert their property rights. Access to homes and disputes between displaced and resident populations are also becoming a source of conflict linked to social, identity, and religious affiliation issues.
Added to this is gender discrimination, as customary legal norms often prevent women from accessing property rights, exposing them even more to violence and exploitation at home or work. The conflict has entrenched and reinforced these exclusionary practices, making it difficult for women to protect and claim their rights.
Gender-based violence, unemployment, and social instability
Limited access to necessities also exposes women and girls to widespread risks of gender-based violence and exploitation. Violence that also affects men: ‘In the last two months, we have seen an increase in the number of men seeking psychological support at our centres,’ says Merlino, “this is an important sign. Talking about the violence that men suffer during conflicts, including torture in detention centres, remains a difficult subject. A strong social stigma in communities makes it difficult to identify and manage these cases.”
The sum of the elements that make up the problem of internal security and stability also includes the presence on the ground of a multitude of unexploded ordnance, the presence of armed groups, the lack of jobs, labour exploitation, and insufficient wages. Rebuilding life in Syria is extremely difficult.
Families supported by INTERSOS in the governorates of Hama and Idlib, among the areas most devastated by the decade-long war, have reported difficult living conditions. Women and young people in particular experience fear and uncertainty daily, linked to difficulties in accessing services and ensuring their safety.
The presence of different religious communities living together in a territory still marked by years of conflict and profound destruction, both structural and social, makes the work of humanitarian organisations complex.
INTERSOS is present in the governorates of Hama, Idlib, and Rural Damascus to provide psychological support, legal assistance, access to education, and immediate intervention to distribute basic goods for internally displaced persons, and medical assistance through an integrated approach. ‘In the most isolated areas of the three governorates, we reach the few primary health centres in the area and try to support people in various ways: from medical care to protection needs, to mental health treatment,’ says Merlino.
Widespread poverty in the country
There is a clear intersection between poor access to basic services and increased exposure to psychological and physical protection risks. The common denominator is economic. Most communities’ poverty affects their exclusion from enjoying fundamental rights such as healthcare, education, and work.
The INTERSOS team in the field analyzed the needs and economic conditions of the areas of intervention: “From a recent survey we conducted with over 400 families, 32% of them said they had no income earners. On average, they live on approximately 85 euros, while the average monthly expenditure of a family amounts to approximately 180 euros,” explains Merlino.
This massive economic deficit affects 78% of the families reached, and it could be even higher, considering that the number of inhabitants has increased considerably in recent months due to returns.
As a result, INTERSOS also reports a worrying phenomenon of school dropouts and child labour: ‘In the communities where we work, boys often start working at a very early age, especially if there is no father figure in the family. Girls, on the other hand, are exposed to the risks of early marriage and abuse,’ says Merlino. For this reason, INTERSOS workers have been carrying out formal and informal education activities in schools for some time, as well as socialisation activities with at-risk minors and their families, to mitigate the risks of dropouts and facilitate a return to school.
Although there are many humanitarian priorities – from access to housing and basic goods to the opportunity to study – rebuilding the healthcare system and ensuring that the protection of civilians is central to the reconstruction process are among the necessary actions to be taken in a country still seeking stability and internal peace, for a people exhausted and scarred by years of conflict, displacement, violence and denial of fundamental rights.