After more than 14 years of war, in December 2024 the government of former Syrian leader Bashar Al al-Assad fell, leaving large-scale destruction, massive displacement, economic hardship, and a lack of basic services, including health care.
A year later, the humanitarian crisis in Syria persists. Health care access is not reliable and the gap between humanitarian needs and the amount of funding available continues to grow. Millions of Syrians are still extreme vulnerable.
Since the beginning of 2025, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been planning how to best meet people’s needs in areas where our teams were unable to work under the previous government, including major cities and under-served rural regions. Here, we take a look at the current situation in Syria and the most pressing needs.
What is the current humanitarian situation in Syria?
The humanitarian crisis in Syria remains dire, with millions of people still living in extreme vulnerability. Despite the political shift, health care, infrastructure, and basic services remain severely disrupted from the past 14 years of intense war and ongoing instability.
The gap between urgent humanitarian needs and the amount of investment required from humanitarian donors to address them is wide, and millions of Syrians continue to face displacement, vulnerability, and economic challenges.
As of December 2025, MSF is still providing essential medical services across 12 governorates, but the needs are growing, especially regarding access to basic services like water and sanitation.
How has the humanitarian response evolved over the past year, and what are the key needs now?
The focus has remained on emergency health care, water, and protection. However, the needs have diversified, and the situation has yet to improve. The health care system remains fragile, with infrastructure still struggling to recover.
Explosive remnants of war continue to injure civilians, particularly children. Many communities struggle with poverty, poor living conditions, and limited access to basic services, as violence has displaced large numbers of people.
Despite international debate on reconstruction, the most pressing humanitarian needs—like health care, clean water, and protection—remain unmet. Immediate action is essential to prevent further deterioration.
What are the challenges MSF faces in providing medical care in Syria?
MSF operates under challenging conditions in Syria, including unreliable security and the destruction or closure of health care facilities. Many hospitals and clinics operate at minimal capacity, with shortages of staff, medicine, and equipment.
In addition, over 400 health facilities have been affected by funding cuts since mid-2025 according to the World Health Organization (WHO), forcing many to scale down or suspend services and adding further strain to the health care facilities that remain functional. The pressing economic situation has also made health care unaffordable for many families.
We continue to provide medical care through hospitals, primary health care centers, clinics, and mobile teams, but these efforts are severely constrained by limited funding and infrastructure.
Basic health needs in Syria
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule, MSF gained access to Damascus for the first time in over a decade.
We began operating mobile clinics on January 21, offering basic health care like consultations for gastrointestinal infections. In just a month, we saw 576 patients, including 77 children under the age of 5.
What are the main threats to the safety of civilians in Syria?
Ongoing violence, displacement, and harassment continue to create an unstable and unsafe environment for civilians, making it difficult for families to rebuild or even survive. Additionally, the safety of civilians is under constant threat.
Explosive remnants of war, including landmines and unexploded ordnance, pose a significant danger, especially in areas where people are returning to rebuild their lives. These hazards cause severe injuries and fatalities, with children being disproportionately affected.
In May, MSF teams supported the reopening of the emergency room at Deir ez-Zor National Hospital in response to a high number of injuries caused by explosive devices. “Since April 7, our teams working in the emergency room have been seeing around one patient per day who has been wounded by explosions of landmines, unexploded ordnance, and booby traps,” says Will Edmond, MSF head of mission in Syria. “People have been injured mostly in the fields or on the road.”
What is the scale and impact of the water crisis in Syria?
Syria is facing an acute water crisis. Years of war and conflict have severely damaged the country’s water and sanitation infrastructure: two-thirds of water treatment plants, half of pumping stations, and one-third of water towers are no longer functioning properly, according to UNICEF.
Around 1 million people have returned to Syria since the beginning of 2025, and there is a growing risk of placing additional pressure on already scarce resources. As a result, more than 14 million people, out of a population of about 24 million, lack access to safe water, and over 7 million are in acute need of water and sanitation support, according to UNICEF. Poor water treatment, contamination from damaged sewage systems, and inadequate chlorination all increase the risk of waterborne diseases and outbreaks.
As more people return to areas where infrastructure remains fragile or only partially restored, people face continued risks due to insufficient water and sanitation services.
How does MSF continue to support communities in need despite these challenges?
In October, MSF’s mobile clinics provided medical services to more than 20,000 people across Idlib, Aleppo, Sweida, Hama, Daraa, Latakia, and rural Damascus, ensuring that displaced families and isolated communities receive timely and lifesaving care despite the insecurity, damaged infrastructure, and shortage of health facilities.
In 2025, our teams reached over 200,000 people through mobile clinics and delivered essential health care.
How much humanitarian funding is needed in Syria, and what are the implications for MSF's work?
In 2024, the humanitarian response plan for Syria was funded at 37 percent. As of December 4, less than one month before the end of the year, the 2025 humanitarian response plan is only 29 percent funded.
The lack of funding risks further limiting the availability of lifesaving services, including medical care, water and sanitation, and support for returnees and internally displaced people.
What should international actors do to improve the situation in Syria?
MSF calls on all relevant authorities and armed groups to prioritize the safety and protection of civilians, and humanitarian access must be guaranteed.
Immediate attention is needed for risk education and demining efforts to prevent further casualties from explosive remnants of war. Additionally, international donors must urgently boost funding for the humanitarian response to ensure that essential, lifesaving services, particularly health care, can be sustained amid the ongoing instability.
How can the international community help ensure safe returns for displaced Syrians?
Safe, dignified, and voluntary returns must be the only acceptable condition for displaced Syrians. Many areas remain unsafe due to ongoing violence, explosive remnants of war contamination, and destroyed infrastructure.
The international community, including host countries, must prioritize the protection and rights of displaced people and refrain from pushing unsafe return initiatives. Until conditions improve, we urge continued support to those who remain displaced and to those returning to devastated communities.
