IOM Appeals for USD 73 Million as It Expands Its Presence Inside Syria

Geneva, 9 January 2025 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is expanding its appeal for Syria to USD 73.2 million to assist more than 1.1 million people across the country over the coming six months, as the country embarks on a transition period following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s government. 

 “IOM is committed to helping the people of Syria at this historical moment as the nation recovers from nearly 14 years of conflict,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “IOM will bring our deep experience in humanitarian assistance and recovery to help vulnerable communities across the country as we work with all partners to help build a better future for Syria.” 

This appeal is a nationwide expansion of the previous USD 30 million appeal issued in December 2024 focusing on the growing winter needs in Northwest Syria. IOM is reestablishing its presence inside Syria, building on its two decades of presence in Damascus until 2020, and its large response in northwest Syria through cross-border activities over the past decade. This effort aims to provide immediate assistance to the most at-risk and vulnerable communities, including displaced and returning groups, across Syria. 

The funds will be used to provide essential relief items and cash, shelter and protection assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services, as well as early recovery support to people on the move. This includes those displaced or preparing to relocate, those in transit, and those newly arrived in new communities. 

Nearly 500,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returns have been recorded in northwest Syria by the end of 2024 according to UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 

The conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people inside Syria and millions of others were displaced inside Syria or forced to seek refuge elsewhere. According to OCHA, 7.4 million people were displaced inside Syria prior to the latest developments, with 2.3 million residing in camps. 16.7 million people rely on humanitarian assistance across the whole country. 

IOM is also reactivating its Displacement Tracking Matrix to ensure the availability of country-wide assessments of needs and mobility and support the 2025 Humanitarian Programme Cycle led by the OCHA. This is a critical and urgent step to inform the upcoming humanitarian and development plans. 

The fund will also enable IOM to reestablish a strong team inside Syria, across all key UN hubs. 

Since December 2024, IOM’s operations inside Syria have reached over 80,000 people with winter relief items, 170,000 with emergency WASH services, and 15,000 with multipurpose cash assistance. 

Download IOM’s Flash Appeal for Syria

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For more information, please contact: 

In Cairo: Joe Lowry, jlowry@iom.int  

In Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int 

In Damascus: Amrien Al Suhail, syriapsu@iom.int 

In Ankara: Miko Alazas, aalazas@iom.int