The Syria conflict is the biggest humanitarian, peace and security crisis facing the world today.
Intensified fighting and a deteriorating humanitarian situation continue to cause massive people flows within Syria and into the region.
The UN estimates 13.5 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance while 4.6 million have fled to neighbouring countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
Australia has provided more than $213 million in humanitarian assistance since the conflict began in 2011. This includes $87.5 million for people inside Syria and $125.7 million to help the refugees in the region and their host communities.
This funding has been delivered through United Nations agencies, international humanitarian organisations and Australian non-government organisations to reach people in need. By working with these partners, Australian funding has been able to provide shelter, protection, food, water and sanitation, education, health and medical services in response to the crisis.
13.5 million
People in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria
6.5 million
Internally displaced people inside Syria
4.5 million
People living in hard-to-reach areas inside Syria
4.6 million
Syrian refugees in the region
2.4 million
Refugees who are children
88%
Syrian refugees residing in host communities
393,700
People living in besieged areas
250,000
People killed since the start of the conflict
$213.2 million
Australian humanitarian funding in response to the crisis since 2011
Icons in tables courtesy of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Through the United Nations appeals process, Australia’s assistance is part of a coordinated international response to the Syria crisis to address the needs of the most vulnerable victims of this conflict. In 2014, our funding contributed to the following results in Syria and neighbouring countries .
Food security
4.43 million people in Syria received food assistance on average each month. Almost 2 million people in the region received in-kind, cash or voucher assistance to meet their food needs.
Health
16.5 million health treatments were provided to people in Syria, including to 2.9 million children who were vaccinated against polio. More than 3.6 million primary health care consultations were provided to Syrian refugees.
Shelter and non-food items
5.7 million people in Syria were supported with more than 26 million essential household items, including kitchen sets, blankets, mattresses, diapers and jerry cans. 421,000 Syrian refugees in camps were provided with shelter.
Protection
Over 1.2 million people in Syria received protection services, including psychosocial support. 784,000 children in the region also benefitted from psychosocial support and activities, and
35,000 from specialist child protection support
Nutrition
2 million people in Syria benefitted from nutrition services, including children under five who were treated for malnutrition and pregnant and lactating women who received micronutrients and counselling on breastfeeding.
Water, sanitation & hygiene
15.6 million people in Syria and
2.5 million people in the region benefitted from access to safe drinking water.
Education
3.1 million children in Syria were reached with improved education, including assistance with primary school enrolments, remedial classes, textbooks and school feeding programs.
564,000 Syrian refugee children were either enrolled in formal education or attended non-formal education and life skills classes.
Livelihoods
1.9 million people in Syria benefitted from emergency employment opportunities to rehabilitate basic and social infrastructure. 56,000 people in the region participated in technical and vocational training, literacy programs and lifeskills training.
Australian funding by organisation type since 2011
8%
4%
Australian funding by country since 2011
13%
14%
20% 41%
68%
32%
UN agencies
International humanitarian organisations
Australian NGOs and Australian Red Cross
Australian technical experts
Syria
Unearmarked regional
Lebanon
Jordan