Syria Protection Sector - Snapshot Protection Landscape in Syria

Syria’s political landscape transformed on 8 December 2024 with the fall of the former regime. A new transitional government is now in place, but the country remains fragmented among various armed actors: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and groups formed under the umbrella of the Syrian Nation al Army (SNA) now dominate most of the west and north (including Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib), while the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) retain parts of the northeast. In the South, various armed groups under a separate ‘operational command’ exercise territorial control. Other foreign influences persist – Russia holds bases on the coast and Israel has expanded the areas under its territorial control. Despite recent agreements (with the SDF and OAGs in Sweida) security is volatile; the various groups are not all fully united and sporadic clashes continue (for e.g. SNA vs SDF skirmishes in the northeast) while new conflict dynamics are also emerging (for e.g. Coastal and Central areas).

Humanitarian needs in Syria are staggering. An estimated 16.5 million people – out of which 6.5 million are children– the highest since the crisis began – are projected to require some form of assistance in 2025 (Humanitarian Response Priorities 2025). Years of conflict have decimated infrastructure nationwide, leaving millions without adequate housing, reliable water, electricity and healthcare. Over 7.4 million Syrians remain internally displaced inside the country, with many displaced multiple times, and neighboring countries host millions of Syrian refugees. With the former Government’s fall, returns have begun. According to OCHA, 885,000 IDPs have returned to their areas of origin since November 27. Furthermore, and according to UNHCR, some 300,000 Syrians from abroad have returned since after December 8th, with many host states now urging Syrians to go back. However, conditions in Syria are far from fully stable or conducive, raising concerns about premature returns and secondary displacement. Protection needs are still immense: Syrians face threats from conflict, unexploded ordnances, housing, land and property related disputes, lack of access to civil documentation (including birth certificates for children), forced labor, kidnappings, ethnic and sectarian related violence, gender-based violence, grave child rights violations and exploitation, among others.

This document provides a snapshot of the continuity and evolution of protection risks in Syria since the events of 8 December. It does not aim to present a comprehensive analysis of the current protection landscape, nor to establish a hierarchy of risks. Rather, it offers an account of specific situations that are either driving existing protection risks, exacerbating them, or have the potential to generate new risks—particularly in light of the shifting context and heightened vulnerabilities affecting parts of the population.