The Syrian civil war began in March 2011. Since then, it is estimated to have killed at least 500,000 people, over half of which are believed to be civilian casualties. In its 2023 Global Appeal, the UN reported that there are more than 6.9 million internally displaced people, with an estimated 5.4 million more who have fled the country.
The physical devastation in Syria is massive, with schools, hospitals and water treatment facilities destroyed. In March 2024 UNICEF reported that an estimated 7.5 million children need humanitarian aid - more than at any other time during the conflict - to meet their basic needs in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Millions of refugees in Syria and countries bordering it are without real accommodation, many living in bombed out, derelict and squalid houses, only scraping together enough food each day to get by. Basic medical supplies, food and blankets are high in demand.