Displaced and forgotten amid a harsh winter in Syria

During winter storms, water seeps into tents, snow piles up between shelters, and families struggle to stay warm. When temperatures drop, heating becomes a necessity, not a comfort. Roofs are often unstable, offering little protection against snow, rain, and freezing cold.

Despite the huge needs that remain in Syria, the country has seen a decrease in humanitarian funding. The winter months are particularly dangerous, and without sustained aid, people will continue to face life-threatening conditions.

“People here are living in extremely fragile shelters,” says Osama Joukhadar, a logistics manager with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). “They are exposed to the cold, wind, and snow. Every winter, families struggle just to survive. We are trying to provide basic support — small but essential help to assist families get through the cold months.”

The end of war does not mean the end of hardship in Syria

Despite the end of the war in December 2024, people in Syria continue to live with the heavy legacy of 14 years of bloody conflict. Years of aerial attacks and protracted hostilities, including in rural areas around Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib, have destroyed homes and essential infrastructure, leaving countless families with no choice but to flee. Many families sought shelter in the mountains, where what began as emergency displacement camps have turned into fragile, long-term living areas. 

Although some people have been able to return home, many displaced families remain in camps, without the financial capacity to rebuild their lives. Basic services are absent and livelihood opportunities are scarce, leaving people dependent on humanitarian assistance that has steadily declined over the past couple of years.

“I returned home after the shelling to find my house leveled to the ground,” said Um Ayman. “I did not grieve for my home as much as I grieved for my olive trees. I grew olives and oranges on my land, and everything was gone.”

Waning public attention and aid despite growing needs

Initially, humanitarian organizations rushed to provide emergency support, but over time, the amount of aid provided has been reduced. Many displaced families have been left to manage on their own. As makeshift shelters deteriorate with each passing season, families must gather whatever materials they can find to keep them standing. 

“When the snow started falling, the plastic-sheet roof collapsed,” said Um Ali, a mother of three who lives in Al Fardan camp. “We were unable to remove the snow because we live in a mountainous area.”

Humanitarian needs are immense and growing. Families lack access to adequate food, health care, winter clothing, blankets, and medicines. Some camps have small clinics, but supplies are limited and the cost of services puts essential care out of reach for many.  

"It's been one year and a few months since we last received assistance from humanitarian organizations," says Abu Musa, a resident of one of the camps. "After the liberation, no one provided any kind of support to people living in the camps here.”

MSF urges humanitarian organizations to step up their response, including for people who are still displaced and struggling to survive. 

MSF’s response in Syria

To support displaced families who remain exposed to extreme weather and unsafe living conditions, MSF distributed mattresses and blankets as well as approximately 3,000 heaters between November and February in southern Syria’s Daraa governate and rural areas around Damascus. In Qamishli and Derik/Al-Malikiyah, northeast Syria, MSF responded to the needs of recently displaced people who were forced to leave their homes in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Al-Hassakeh under relentless rain and cold temperatures.  

In Idlib governorate, MSF has distributed heating materials and plastic sheets to 2,000 families across 21 camps between December and February. A further 1,400 mattresses, 4,200 blankets, and hygiene and cooking kits have been distributed to 700 families in camps near Salqin and in the Harim Mountains, and 150 families received tents in Armanaz in rural Idlib. These distributions aim to help families endure the harsh winter months and reduce immediate risks linked to exposure to the cold. Yet the gap between needs and assistance remains enormous.