What's happening in Syria right now?
Syria is experiencing a collision of emergencies that are overwhelming families who have already endured 15 years of conflict. Since a major regional escalation began on 28 February 2026, over 200,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon, the vast majority fleeing bombardment with almost nothing. They're arriving to communities already stretched beyond capacity.
At the same time, approximately 116,900 people remain displaced from January 2026 hostilities in northeastern Syria. Heavy rains beginning on 14 March triggered widespread flooding that killed four children in Ar-Raqqa and displaced more than 1,436 families across northern and northeastern Syria.
Today, 16.5 million people - nearly 70% of Syria's population - including 7.5 million children, need humanitarian assistance.
Three in every four children in Syria need urgent support.
Amina* carries aid after returning from Lebanon at Jdeidet Yabous (Masnaa) crossing
"We came back because we were fleeing bombardment and trying to save our lives"
Amina*, 25, first fled Syria in 2013 with her family when conflict forced them from their home. They spent years in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where her husband worked every day and Amina worked in houses and restaurants to help support their family. Their daughter was able to study through a local organisation for a time.
In 2024, they briefly tried returning to Syria, but found their home destroyed. They went back to Lebanon, planning to return later on their own terms. Then the escalation changed everything.
"We had planned to return to Syria by choice, but in the end it was not really a choice," Amina said. "We came back because we were fleeing bombardment and trying to save our lives."
Schools closed, aid was cut, and work opportunities collapsed in Lebanon. Amina's family joined thousands crossing back into Syria - not with hope, but with urgency.
"We are coming back with nothing and having to start from zero," she said. "Right now, we need everything - shelter, clothing, medical support, and the basics to start again."
Save the Children, through local partner Hand in Hand, is providing food baskets, water, winter blankets and psychological first aid to families. As of 03 April 2026, we had reached 6,525 people, including 3,310 children.
A child who attends Save the Children Education programmes in a displacement camp in Northeast Syria walks in the rain with an umbrella that they were given.
The situation for children in Syria
Many families returning home are finding their neighbourhoods in ruins. 38% of hospitals and a quarter of all schools have been fully or partially destroyed. Unexploded remnants of war continue to endanger lives.
Syria faces a severe economic crisis. Jobs are scarce and 90% of the population lives below the poverty line. For children, this means:
Malnutrition has nearly tripled since 2019: An estimated 587,000 children now require treatment for wasting, including 96,660 with severe wasting.
Limited access to education: 2.4 million children remain out of school. Some schools that are open operate double shifts with up to 70 students per class.
Healthcare shortages: Many pregnant women don't know where they'll give birth. Before the conflict ended, one hospital near Idlib reported 33 miscarriages linked to trauma from airstrikes every month—this has since fallen to fewer than 15.
Psychological trauma: Years of displacement and violence have left deep scars. Children who lived through airstrikes still hide when they hear aircraft overhead.
Family separation: During recent displacement in Al-Hasakeh, 19% of families reported becoming separated, leaving children unaccompanied and at risk of abuse and exploitation.
Explosive ordnance continues killing children: Since Syria's political transition in December 2024, 685 children have been killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war. In just the first two months of 2026, 26 children were killed and 43 injured.
How the closure of Al-Hol camp is affecting children
What is Al-Hol?
Al-Hol camp is in northeastern Syria, where thousands of children have grown up behind barbed wire facing an uncertain future as the camp is expected to close.
At its peak, Al-Hol was home to about 73,000 people - mainly women and children displaced by conflict whose movements were restricted. Many have since been reintegrated or repatriated, but thousands of children have grown up knowing nothing but the camps.
What's happening now?
Just under 70% of residents have left in recent weeks after an increase in violence in the region. Children are among those who have left, with limited independent information available on their safety, whereabouts, and wellbeing.
In addition to the upheaval of leaving the camp, these children are at increased risk of being exploited or separated from their families.Remaining residents may be transferred to another camp.
"Life inside Al-Hol camp has been defined by deprivation, violence and fear. But for many children, it's the only world they have ever known," said Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children's Syria Country Director.
"Many were born behind barbed wire or arrived as infants, growing up amid chronic food shortages, violence, insecurity and the absence of consistent, quality education. None chose to grow up here, yet it has been the only home they have ever known. Losing that now exposes them to new and serious risks."
What happens next?
The emptying of Al-Hol marks the end of a physical site, but not the end of responsibility. Children who've left the camp must be properly reintegrated into society with access to child protection services - whether within Syria or, if repatriated, in their countries of origin.
Children must have access to child-friendly psychological and psychosocial support, education and livelihood opportunities for older children, and essential documentation such as birth certificates and identification.
"The best interests of the child must remain at the centre of every decision taken by authorities and the international community," Rasha said. "Because childhood cannot be paused and resumed later."
What we're doing to help children in Syria
Save the Children has worked in Syria since 2012, supporting displaced families directly and through local partners.
We are responding across all three simultaneous emergencies:
At the Lebanon-Syria border: We're providing ready-to-eat food parcels, water, winter blankets and psychological first aid to families arriving from Lebanon. Our protection teams are screening for child protection concerns, including separated children and children who have been out of school, and coordinating referrals for families with specific needs.
In northeastern Syria: Our Qamishli office has been delivering multi-sector support throughout the January escalation response, including cash assistance, non-food items, mobile child-friendly spaces providing psychosocial support, and mobile nutrition units providing infant and young child feeding support.
In flood-affected areas: We're linking families to essential services, supporting community-based malnutrition prevention and treatment, providing hygiene items, and advocating to restore damaged water systems.
Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children's Syria Country Director, said: "During 14 years of conflict, more than half the population - over 13 million people - were displaced. Many want to return home, but they are coming back to devastation and a lack of basic services. We must ensure people can return safely and that children have access to education, healthcare, and protection. Children must be at the heart of Syria's reconstruction."
Nour's story: Coming home after 14 years
Nour*, 42, returned to Syria two months ago after 14 years in Lebanon. She and her husband brought their children—Hassan*, 8, and Zahra*, 6—back to their family home in a town in rural Damascus that was heavily bombed during the conflict.
"I was so shocked to see the destruction when we got back. It is like starting all over again," she said at a Save the Children-supported child centre. "But we are with our family again, we are home. I just hope it gets better with time. We really need help to rebuild Syria. I want my children to have a good education and a brighter future."
Nour*, 42, and her children Zahra*, 6, and Hassan*, 8, in rural Damascus, Syria
Names marked with * have been changed to protect identities.
Page last updated in May 2026.
