Syria

Fourteen years since conflict erupted, Syria remains one of the world’s most protracted and complex humanitarian crises. An estimated 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance. Syria also remains the largest displacement crisis globally, with over 7.2 million internally displaced people and over 6.2 million refugees hosted in neighbouring countries, including Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.

The crisis has been compounded by climate shocks and the devastating February 2023 earthquakes, which further eroded basic infrastructure. The fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 has led to a rise in returns, but many displaced families are coming back to destroyed homes and fragile systems, underscoring the ongoing need for humanitarian support.

GOAL has worked in Northwest Syria since 2012 and is a leading humanitarian actor in the region. Programmes focus on Emergency Response, Health, Nutrition, Food Security, WASH and Shelter, with operations centred in Idleb and Aleppo Governorates. GOAL’s work is supported by teams in Jordan, Türkiye, and HQ in Dublin.

What we do in Syria

Emergency Response

Resilient Health

Food & Nutrition Security

Emergency response

Following the collapse of the Assad Regime, Northwest Syria saw over 115,000 refugees return from neighbouring countries in the early months of 2025, facing destroyed homes, devastated infrastructure, and extremely lacking essential services after 14 years of conflict, and continued effects from the February 2023 earthquake. Across the country, almost one-third of housing units are either destroyed or severely damaged, while half the population lacks access to safe water and sanitation services.

Against this backdrop, GOAL launched the EU-funded SANAD project, which expands emergency support in food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, winterisation, and emergency response. In total, the programme reached over 1.1 million people, delivering urgent aid to communities still reeling from the impact of conflict, displacement, and the 2023 earthquakes.

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

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.

As a part of the SANAD programme, GOAL’s WASH teams, with EU funding, restored access to safe water by rehabilitating and operating water stations and piped networks in Northern Aleppo. Including upgrading existing wells with solar power and emergency logistics to keep water flowing to displacement camps and conflict-affected towns. These sustainable systems reached over 800,000 people with clean water, while sanitation services supported another 177,000. Notably, 99.98% of water samples met SPHERE standards – a set of principles and minimum humanitarian standards for water.

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.

Key Achievements

GOAL has been one of the leading humanitarian agencies in Northwest Syria since 2012, especially in food security programming.
In 2024, GOAL improved access to sufficient and safe water for 1.6 million people by operating water stations and repairing infrastructure.
The GOAL team in Northwest Syria has supported over 1.4 million people with food and nutrition security in the past year.
19% of people GOAL reached with humanitarian aid assistance in Northwest Syria in 2024 were under five years old.

Our story in numbers

2012

GOAL Syria begins

€73.8M

Programme expenditure in 2024

587

Staff across Northern Syria

2.8M

People reached in 2024

Stories from Syria

Power and the Promise of Return: Syria’s Road to Recovery Needs More Than Sanctions Relief

SANAD II aims to provide shelter repairs and rehabilitations to provide safe, dignified living conditions for displaced people, returnees, and vulnerable host communities.

2.07.2025