AVSI has been working in Syria since 2015, through a network of partners and projects supporting communities affected by more than 14 years of conflict and by the country's economic, health and social crisis.

The political transition following the change of government in December 2024 marked a new phase of uncertainty. AVSI continues to operate in Damascus and Aleppo, combining humanitarian assistance with education, health, psychosocial support, vocational training and economic opportunities.

AVSI's approach connects emergency response with early recovery, strengthening essential services, local capacities and opportunities for people and communities to rebuild their lives.

After more than 14 years of conflict and the political transition that began in December 2024, Syria continues to face a severe humanitarian and socio-economic crisis.

According to UNHCR's April 2026 Operational Update, 15.6 million people require humanitarian assistance. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan reports more than 5.5 million internally displaced people, alongside continuing returns of refugees and internally displaced people.

The crisis continues to affect access to basic services, housing, healthcare, education and livelihoods. According to OCHA, 14.7 million Syrians are exposed to protection risks, including 8.6 million women and girls and 6.2 million children. More than 4.1 million people face barriers related to civil documentation and housing, land and property rights, while at least 6.2 million people require shelter rehabilitation.

In this context, AVSI focuses on vulnerable families, displaced people and returnees, with particular attention to children, women, older people, people with disabilities and other groups exposed to protection risks.

Syria's education system remains under severe pressure after years of conflict, displacement, population movements and repeated crises. 6.5 million children require education services, while an estimated 2.5–2.7 million children are out of school.

Being out of school increases children's exposure to protection risks, including child labour, early marriage, exploitation and psychosocial distress. AVSI therefore combines education with protection and psychosocial support, helping children regain learning opportunities and strengthening safe and inclusive school environments.

Since 2020, through the Integrated Protection and Education Initiative for Community Resilience in Qudsaya, AVSI has worked with the Ministry of Education to rehabilitate school buildings and create safer, more functional and inclusive learning spaces.

AVSI also supports children who have dropped out of school through remedial classes and school materials, including backpacks, notebooks and other essential supplies. Teachers receive training to respond to trauma, emotional distress and learning difficulties, while active learning methodologies promote participation, cooperation and student-centred learning.

Education interventions are accompanied by psychosocial and protection activities involving children and caregivers, strengthening family relationships and contributing to a more inclusive and protective school environment.

Between 2023 and 2024, thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Milan's and the collaboration with partner Pro Terra Sancta (PTS), 278 vulnerable children have been involved in soccer classes, an activity that provided an escape from post-conflict and post-earthquake realities and has contributed to their mental and physical well-being.

Years of conflict have damaged vocational education infrastructure, outdated equipment and weakened the connection between training and labour market opportunities. Young people face significant barriers to acquiring the skills and experience required to enter the workforce.

Since 2025, AVSI has strengthened vocational education in Syria through infrastructure rehabilitation, equipment, teacher training, curriculum development and employment-oriented training.

In Aleppo, the first phase of the F2I – Vocational Training and Employment project supported a public Industrial Vocational School and Institute serving more than 400 students. The intervention included the rehabilitation and solarization of learning facilities, new equipment and furniture, teacher training and stronger links between vocational education and the private sector.

The first phase directly involved 145 students, teachers and administrative staff, while 35 students participated in paid on-the-job training placements with local businesses, gaining practical experience and strengthening their employability.

The second phase, launched in 2026, continues to connect vocational education with employment opportunities through curriculum development, teacher capacity building, company visits, on-the-job training and student-led initiatives. Protection and psychosocial activities are also integrated into the programme.

AVSI combines psychosocial support with opportunities for skills development and employment, particularly for children, young people and vulnerable women.

Through the Route of Cohesion – In the Footsteps of Saint Ananias project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented with Pro Terra Sancta, AVSI provides psychosocial support for children and vocational training and life skills for young people in Damascus.

The psychosocial component has reached 240 children aged 6–15, including children with disabilities, through group activities using art, storytelling and other child-centred methodologies.

More than 200 young people, the majority of them young women, have completed or are currently attending vocational training in hospitality and restaurant services, tourism and front-office operations, and marketing and business planning for handicraft activities.

Life skills sessions complement vocational training, covering communication, problem-solving, goal setting, digital job-seeking and workplace readiness.

By combining psychosocial well-being, skills development and access to employment opportunities, AVSI contributes to inclusion and social cohesion among vulnerable communities.

Syria remains one of the world's largest countries of origin for refugees. Today, more than 3.5 million Syrians continue to live abroad, primarily in Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan.

Since 8 December 2024, an estimated 1.7 million Syrians have returned to the country, while approximately 5.5 million people remain internally displaced.

Large-scale returns and continued internal displacement are placing additional pressure on basic services, infrastructure, employment opportunities and host communities.

AVSI has been working for years with Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, extending its work with the Syrian population beyond the country's borders.

AVSI's work in Syria connects humanitarian response with early recovery and longer-term development.

By investing in education, healthcare, psychosocial well-being, vocational training, employment opportunities and local capacities, AVSI accompanies people and communities through a period of profound uncertainty while strengthening the conditions for recovery and social cohesion.