Official Statistics

UK humanitarian aid and spend in Syria factsheet

Updated 22 October 2024

Humanitarian response

Background: facts of the crisis (as of 2024)

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Summary data:

• 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance (total population 23.9 million)
• 2 million Syrians in refugee camps
• 7.2 million Syrians are internally displaced
• 5.5 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries
• $USD 9.6 billion funding target for the UN appeal on Syria

What FCDO has done to help in Syria?

The conflict in Syria has entered its fourteenth year with millions of people still in need of humanitarian support. It is estimated that over 600,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

In response to the crisis the UK has provided over £4.3 billion in aid to over 30 implementing partners including United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organisations and the Red Cross. This support has reached millions of Syrians across Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt – helping to meet the urgent needs of those in Syria and of Syrian refugees across the region.

The UK’s humanitarian programme in Syria was refocused in 2022 to support longer term sustainable change through education and early recovery programmes, in addition to continuing to provide life-saving humanitarian aid across Syria.

In the 2023 to 2024 financial year, FCDO programming in Syria has supported:

Data in chart:

• 158,000 people with access to water and sanitation
• 183,000 people with sexual health or gender-based violence services
• 162,000 people with agricultural or livelihoods interventions
• 74,000 young children, pregnant and lactating women with nutrition interventions
• 784,000 people with essential medical aid consultations
• 83,000 children with access to education

Key components of our strategy

Localisation:

• the UK will support local leadership on development, climate, nature and humanitarian action. In 2023, 19% of the budget for Syria was allocated to local NGOs

Early recovery:

• In 2023, over 40% of the UK’s aid budget for Syria was allocated to early recovery, livelihoods, and providing long term opportunities for Syrians.

Since the FCDO response to the crisis began in 2012, our activities in the region have delivered:

Summary data:

• 28.5 million monthly food rations
• 26.1 million medical consultations
• 6.3 million cash grants

Financial overview

What is the FCDO doing across the region to support the crisis?

ODA spent on the Syria crisis by FCDO, by country (February 2012 to March 2024)

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Data in chart:

• Syria: £1,809 million
• Lebanon: £879 million
• Turkey: £846 million
• Jordan: £694 million
• Iraq: £19 million
• Egypt: £2 million
• Regional: £48 million

Notes:

• Turkey spend is inclusive of FCDO EU Directorate contributions to FRIT
• regional spend includes technical and operating programming. As of 2023 this was merged with country budgets
• multilateral spend or centrally managed programmes that may indirectly support Syrians are not included

Description:

The chart shows cumulative spend towards a country from February 2012 to March 2024. Syria, the leftmost column, has the highest spend at £1.8 billion (£1,809 million).

Lebanon (£879 million), Turkey (£846 million), and Jordan (£694 million) all have similar levels of spend. The remaining countries, Iraq, Egypt, and Regional have little spend in comparison.

Key humanitarian strategies in or relating to Syria

Syria

• reduce human suffering by meeting the needs of the most vulnerable people
• prevent further economic and societal decline by building resilience at individual and community level
• improve the effectiveness of the overall international response to the crisis

Lebanon

• provide assistance and protection; reduce gender-based violence, save lives, and reduce suffering
• support the Government of Lebanon to ensure education for all children, including Syrian refugees
• support municipalities in at-risk areas to manage tensions through the provision of basic services

Turkey

• support the Government of Turkey to host Syrian refugees. UK support has been channelled through EU’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT) since 2016. Interventions include cash transfers enabling refugees to meet basic needs, building and equipping schools, and training for teachers and medical staff
• replace FRIT support with new bilateral programming for 2024

Jordan

• provide life-saving humanitarian cash assistance to support the needs of the most vulnerable refugees
• promote financial inclusion of refugees to foster economic self-reliance and stability
• improve access to gender-based violence prevention services for refugees and host communities
• support economic opportunities for refugees and Jordanians
• build longer term stability by supporting Jordan’s programme of political and economic reform

Final notes

For methodological information, please refer to data sources and methodology. For further information contact statistics@fcdo.gov.uk

1. Humanitarian Needs Overview, Syria, 2024 ↩

2. ODA Spend is limited to that which is only attributable to the Syria Crisis, for complete ODA spend info, please refer to FCDO Statistics for International Development: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statistics-on-international-development ↩