How many people in Syria need humanitarian assistance in 2026?
People in need
OCHA estimates 16.7 million people in Syria require humanitarian assistance in 2026. The figure comes from the annual Humanitarian Needs Overview and covers food, shelter, health, water and protection requirements.
The People in Need figure is the headline number from OCHA's Humanitarian Needs Overview, the inter-cluster product that synthesises sector-by-sector severity scoring across Syria. It draws on assessments by Food Security, Health, WASH, Protection, Shelter, and Education clusters, validated against household survey data.
For 2026, drivers in Syria include the ongoing Syrian Civil War, recurring economic shocks, climate-related stressors, and constrained humanitarian access. The Humanitarian Response Plan derived from this number sets funding requirements that are typically only 40-60 percent met by donors.
Data sources
- UNHCR
- OCHA
- IOM DTM
- ACLED
- WFP
Figures synthesised from primary humanitarian data partners. Numbers update on monthly cycles as new field assessments and registration data are released.
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Related answers
How many internally displaced people are in Syria in 2026?
Approximately 7.2 million people are internally displaced inside Syria in 2026. The figure is tracked by IOM DTM and UNHCR and reflects people forced from their homes who remain within the country's borders.
What are the latest Syria displacement statistics?
Syria has 7.2 million internally displaced people and 5.5 million refugees abroad in 2026, with 16.7 million requiring humanitarian aid. Data is updated by UNHCR, OCHA and IOM on monthly cycles.
How many refugees from Syria are there in 2026?
As of 2026, there are approximately 5.5 million refugees from Syria worldwide, according to UNHCR. The figure includes registered refugees, asylum seekers, and people in refugee-like situations across host countries.
What are the largest refugee and IDP camps in Syria?
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