Funding shortages risk undermining a ‘watershed moment’ for Syria

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Fourteen years of war have left Syria’s people in desperate need – but international support is dwindling, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday, calling for urgent investment in the country’s recovery.

In a video message to the conference Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition, organized by the European Union in Brussels, he underlined the gravity of the situation.

“This is a watershed moment,” said the UN chief, stressing that the future of Syria depends on ensuring access to food, shelter, healthcare and sustainable livelihoods.

Over two-thirds of the population requires humanitarian assistance. However, critical aid efforts are in jeopardy due to severe underfunding.

The $1.25 billion UN-coordinated humanitarian response for the country is only 12.5 percent funded, with vital sectors such as shelter, non-food relief, water and sanitation, and agriculture and nutrition suffering from lack of resources.

Reconsider funding cuts

Mr. Guterres underscored the need for support from the international community.

Donors must urgently expand humanitarian support and reconsider funding cuts, he said. They must also invest in Syria’s recovery – including addressing sanctions and other restrictions – alongside helping an orderly and inclusive political transition.

“Let us work together to help the people of Syria as they take these momentous next steps in their journey towards a free, prosperous and peaceful future,” he added.

© UNHCR/Ximena Borrazas

People cross back into Syria from Lebanon through the Masnaa border point.

Commentary aside

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reinforced the Secretary-General’s call for action, warning that humanitarian operations face a severe funding gap.

“The people of Syria do not need us to be commentators and problem observers – they need us to move with urgency,” he said.

Despite these challenges, the UN has expanded its reach, delivering aid to millions, including areas previously inaccessible due to conflict.

More humanitarian convoys have entered Syria from Türkiye this year than in all of 2024, and assistance is now reaching former frontline areas in rural Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo. However, ongoing funding cuts threaten these gains, with essential services at risk of collapse.

“After so long waiting for hope, the people of Syria…expect us to meet this moment with decisive action, with generosity and with solidarity. The price of failure will be much greater for all of us than the cost of success,” he warned.

Refugees returning, but to what?

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, highlighted a significant shift – the return of Syrian refugees.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, more than one million displaced Syrians have returned home, including 350,000 from neighbouring countries. Surveys suggest that up to 3.5 million more could return in the coming months.

However, Mr. Grandi cautioned that without adequate support, these returns may not be sustainable.

“If we fail to help them stay in Syria, make no mistake: the impact will be disastrous,” he said, warning that refugees unable to rebuild their lives may be forced to leave again.

© UNFPA/Verity Kowal

In Damascus, UNFPA Director Arakaki listens to women affected by conflict in Syria talk about their situations and the support they need.

Healthcare, protection for women at risk

Meanwhile within Syria, the humanitarian crisis remains acute, especially for women and girls.

Having concluded a mission to the country, Shoko Arakaki, Humanitarian Director at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted the devastating impact of war on Syria’s healthcare system, with four in ten hospitals damaged or destroyed.

Lack of resources have further complicated the situation and recent funding cuts have forced the closure of over 100 UN-supported health facilities in northwest Syria.

She warned that gender-based violence has become “normalised” after years of conflict, but financial constraints may force UNFPA to withdraw support for protection efforts such as safe spaces for women.

“Women and youth in Syria still need our support,” she stressed, urging donors to invest in healthcare, protection, livelihoods and education.

Hope amid the apprehension

“These are deeply uncertain times for Syria,” she said, adding that in the midst of apprehension, she sensed a feeling of hope.

She noted her meetings with “extraordinary women” providing lifesaving reproductive health services, protecting survivors of violence, offering vocational training – even while they themselves are vulnerable.

“[I felt] hope in the Syrian people who are defying the odds to help each other, despite immense hardship,” she added.