The Syrian conflict is one of the world's largest and most complex humanitarian crises, driving record levels of displacement and humanitarian need. Approximately 15.3 million people—nearly 70 percent of Syria’s population—are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. The protracted conflict has damaged or destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, and 12.1 million people in Syria are currently food insecure. On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central-southern Türkiye, near the Syrian border, exacerbating existing humanitarian needs. The earthquake and dozens of violent aftershocks affected approximately 8.8 million people in Syria and resulted in at least 6,000 confirmed deaths and injury to thousands of people, the UN reports. The earthquakes displaced an estimated 500,000 people and damaged or destroyed thousands of health facilities, homes, schools, and water networks.
The U.S. Government (USG) is the leading donor of humanitarian assistance for Syria, providing approximately $16 billion—including more than $8 billion from USAID—throughout Syria and the region since the start of the crisis in 2011. An estimated 5.5 million people in Syria and 1.1 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries receive assistance from USAID partners each month. In response to the effects of the February 2023 earthquakes in Syria, the USG has provided approximately $107 million in additional funding, including more than $80 million from USAID. With USAID support, humanitarian partners are providing assistance including emergency food and nutrition assistance, health care services, protection support, safe drinking water, shelter materials, and basic household items such as blankets, clothes, and kitchen sets to populations in need across Syria.
