Syria Following Transfer of Power: Humanitarian Situation Remains Catastrophic
Returnees Now Need Support
Bonn/Berlin, December 9, 2024. Even after the recent transfer of power, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains catastrophic. For instance, 12.9 million people are not in a position to independently provide for their nutritional needs. In addition, 13 years of civil war have devastated the country’s economy and left severe restrictions on its agricultural production. This will not change quickly, even with a change in government.
In response, Welthungerhilfe will increase the aid it is providing in Aleppo and other areas in northwestern Syria where families have sought protection from the fighting; it is also developing an approach for supporting urgently needed reconstruction efforts in the country. A key role in this is played by Welthungerhilfe’s Syrian colleagues, many of whom have been working out of Türkiye for years.
“It is a very emotional situation for all of us. On the one hand, we are overjoyed that the dictatorship has ended; on the other hand, the people who have been displaced are suffering greatly. In the past few days, we have distributed bread to 5,000 vulnerable households in Aleppo, and thousands of families in the refugee camps in the northwest are being supported this month with hygiene products, blankets, and money.
We also need to begin thinking about reconstruction. People want to return home, but in many cases, their hometowns have been completely destroyed; they have no electricity, water, hospitals, or schools, and the houses themselves have been severely damaged through years of fighting.
We need the international community to pledge its support to these people in making a new start, even while Syria’s political future remains uncertain. Turning away from Syria now would be disastrous,” states Mahmoud Albasha, a Welthungerhilfe colleague from Aleppo, reporting on the current situation.
Welthungerhilfe has been continuously active in the region since 2013, enabling millions of families in the northwest to survive. It is important that all groups comply with international humanitarian law and that civilians and humanitarian workers be protected.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 12,128 overseas projects in about 72 countries have been supported with 5.07 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, offering everything from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
