The war that began in Syria in March 2011 has caused what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has called "the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time."

The UN agency (2016 data) has estimated that the humanitarian emergency has affected 13,500,000 Syrians, including 6,000,000 children. The majority (almost 9 million people) live in food insecurity, not even having access to basic supplies.
Supporting the population. AVSI Foundation is one of 16 international organizations present in Syria, working on several fronts to support the Syrian people. In Damascus, supporting activities for women and children, and in Aleppo, in support of Custodia Terra Sancta's work.

The health crisis and the Open Hospitals campaign.At the end of 2016, AVSI launched the Open Hospitals campaign, along with Cor Unum and the Gemelli Foundation, in order to develop the activities of three Syrian non-profit hospitals. This work was necessary in the face of an unprecedented health crisis: nearly 11.5 million people, 40% of which are children, do not receive adequate medical care. In Aleppo, more than 2 million people do not have access to hospitals, in Damascus, more than a million. The health system cannot cope with the demand for care and families cannot pay their medical bills.