Syria

Emergency response

In 2024, following the collapse of the Assad regime, Northwest Syria saw a surge in the return of displaced families, many coming back to areas they hadn’t seen in years. These communities returned to find their homes destroyed, infrastructure decimated, and essential services still severely lacking after nearly 14 years of conflict and the lasting impact of the February 2023 earthquakes.

In response, GOAL reached over 73,500 newly displaced and returning individuals in 2024 with emergency food assistance, hygiene kits, non-food relief items, and one-off cash transfers to help families meet their most urgent needs.

Building on the immediate humanitarian response following the 2023 earthquakes, which killed over 55,000 people, including 32 GOAL staff, GOAL continued to prioritise the needs of those living without adequate shelter. Throughout 2024, the organisation expanded its Dignified Shelter Programme, which replaces worn-out tents with safer, durable, and more private shelter units. These upgraded shelters include lighting, sanitation and clean water systems, offering protection from the elements and reducing health and protection risks, particularly for women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. 

Rehabilitating essential WASH infrastructures

WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Programmes. 

In 2024, GOAL provided over 1.6 million people in Northwest Syria — more than half of them women — with access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

Building on over a decade of WASH programming, GOAL continued to operate and maintain more than 60 water stations across Idleb and Northern Aleppo. These systems are vital in a context where conflict, displacement, and infrastructure collapse have left communities with limited or no access to safe water.

Following the devastating 2023 earthquakes, which damaged hundreds of water stations and disrupted piped networks, GOAL engineers restored functionality at 40 stations within one week. Throughout 2024, teams expanded support with solar-powered upgrades and emergency logistics to keep water flowing to displacement camps and conflict-affected towns.

GOAL’s long-standing focus on piped water — rather than costly trucking — has helped ensure more sustainable, safe, and affordable access for families in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian settings.

Food & Nutrition Security and Curative Nutrition

In 2024, GOAL supported over 1.3 million people with food and nutrition assistance — including more than 24,000 children and adults who received life-saving curative nutrition services.

In areas still reeling from the 2023 earthquakes, GOAL expanded emergency food support through additional bakeries, free bread distribution, and ready-to-eat kits for displaced families.

GOAL’s food security work remains vital in a context of economic collapse, soaring prices, and repeated displacement — helping families meet basic needs with dignity.