A Flicker of Hope
Syria’s 14 years of intense and devastating conflict came to an unexpected, but deeply welcomed, end in late 2024 with the fall of the Assad regime. The war claimed at least 580,000 lives and forced 13 million Syrians from their homes within its first decade. Entire communities were torn apart, and vital infrastructure, including water systems millions depended on, was left in ruins.
As the country faces the monumental task of rebuilding, families like Ali’s are struggling to piece their lives back together. This is the story of one man and his family’s journey through loss and resilience, and how, with support from GOAL and the EU, a fragile sense of hope endures.
Displacement and hardship
Displacement remains one of the most severe consequences of the crisis:
- More than 1.2 million Syrians have returned from neighbouring countries.
- Over 1.9 million internally displaced people (IDPs) have gone back to their home areas, including more than 1 million leaving displacement sites in the north.
- Around seven million people remain displaced inside Syria.
Through the EU-funded SANAD II programme, GOAL team is assisting thousands of households who are returning and working to re-establish themselves including families like that of Ali Azzeddeen Arnos. In Syria, financial support is helping newly returned families secure essential needs, restore a sense of dignity, and rebuild stability in their daily lives.
Ali's Story
Ali, 50, is from Baboulin village in Idlib governorate. He lives with his extended family of ten, including his married son and family. Their lives changed in April 2012, when heavy shelling, raids, and arrests forced them to flee their area.
“We left our home, our land, and a lifetime of memories… we carried only a few belongings and went searching for safety for our children,” he recalls.
The family initially fled to Nayara camp in northern Lebanon. They endured harsh winters in tents, with limited access to water and medicine, before moving into a rented house, but life remained extremely difficult, particularly as they pursued medical care for several family members.
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My only wish is to see my children healthy… living a dignified life.
Medical Challenges
Ali’s son, Hilal, 21, has lived with brain damage since infancy. Over time, his daughter Seham, 14, and one of his granddaughters developed similar symptoms, adding to the family’s medical and daily care responsibilities. His wife suffers from heart disease and requires ongoing medication, while Ali himself has undergone three surgeries (for gallbladder, ulcer, and appendicitis) and often experiences fatigue.
Returning Home
After the fall of the Assad regime, the family returned to Baboulin village in Idlib governorate which was a time full of joy but also brought nostalgia for the family. Their home area, however, has been left with damaged infrastructure: limited electricity and water access, and virtually no sewage systems. Income opportunities are scarce, and Ali’s casual labour work rarely brings in more than $4 per day. With debts reaching $6,000, even buying basic food like bread and rice has become a daily struggle.
“Sometimes the children ask for a piece of meat or sweets, and I cannot provide it,” he shares.
Winter makes life even harder: heating fuel and gas absorb much of their limited income, and firewood must often be bought in small quantities.
Despite these difficulties, the family holds onto moments of joy, sharing simple meals together and supporting one another through each setback.
A Lifeline from GOAL
During an especially challenging period, the family received assistance through GOAL’s multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) programme, funded by the European Union. The cash provided crucial relief.
“Thank God… this money eased my burden a lot. I bought medicines for my wife, fed my children meat after a long time, and seeing their happiness was more important than anything else,” he says, smiling.
Cash assistance not only supports households like theirs but also strengthens local markets, helping communities rebuild together.
GOAL teams work closely with returning families across the area. During the latest round of support, more than 2,500 verified households from Baboulin and nearby villages received cash assistance to help them meet urgent needs and remain in their communities.
“These villages lack even the most basic services,” says Lama Sanoon, GOAL Syria’s Cash & Voucher Assistance Team member. “Cash assistance gives families dignity and flexibility, allowing them to prioritise food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials.”
In parallel, GOAL’s outreach teams visit communities regularly and support feedback and complaint mechanisms, including hotline channels and community consultations. This helps ensure transparency and responsiveness to the needs of the people GOAL serves.
Ali's Wish
Despite years of suffering, Ali's family remain hopeful. Every day, Ali looks into his children’s eyes for strength.
“My only wish is to see my children healthy… living a dignified life,” he says.
GOAL's programme is more than financial support - for returning families like his, it offers stability, dignity and a renewed sense of hope.
About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.
Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
GOAL in Syria
After more than a decade of conflict, over 6.8 millions Syrians are internally displaced. 70% of Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance and relying on aid to survive day-to-day.
GOAL teams have been working on the ground in Syria since the conflict began in 2012. In 2025, GOAL's emergency response programme reached over 1.2 million people with food, cooking supplies and financial assistance. As GOAL engineers repair damage to water network infrastructure, more than 1.3 million people are now able to access clean drinking water in their homes. A further 430,000 people are benefitting from GOAL's bakery programme in North-West Syria.
Impact in Numbers
+1.6 million
Providing clean water to over 1.6 million people
+430,000
Delivering bread to over 430,000 people daily
2.8 million
People supported over the last year
2012
GOAL begins operations in Syria
Louay's Story
Louay Tajiddin, a GOAL Water and Sanitation Engineer in Syria, shares his personal experience of having to leave his job and home due to conflict in Syria.
He highlights the challenges faced by Syrians due to the protracted conflict and the importance of access to basic needs, particularly clean water.
To help vulnerable communities in Syria, Louay used his skills and experience for humanitarian work.
"Seeing more and more vulnerable families suffer under conditions of displacement and conflict was difficult. But I knew that this did not have to be the way. I felt I could do more for my people as someone with expertise in maintaining public service infrastructures. Something that was desperately needed in my community."
Learn more about how Louay and other GOAL staff in Syria, thanks to funding from the European Union, are repairing and delivering clean water to over 800,000 people in northwest Syria.
