In January 2026, senior officials from UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Food Programme publicly reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated support for Syrian refugees and internally displaced people, following a regional mission to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. In a joint statement, the agencies stressed that refugee returns and continued displacement require sustained humanitarian assistance, including access to health and protection services, and warned that return should be understood as a long process rather than a single event.

This renewed commitment comes as humanitarian needs inside Syria remain severe. UN agencies have repeatedly highlighted that millions of Syrians still rely on aid for basic services, while funding shortfalls limit the reach of critical programmes, including healthcare provision across the country and in refugee-hosting states. UN briefings in late 2025 and early 2026 cautioned that unmet basic needs, such as housing, food security and healthcare, are key drivers of long-term psychological distress, particularly for people affected by repeated displacement and protracted uncertainty.

While international agencies continue to engage and coordinate efforts, psychosocial support remains under-resourced, as large-scale displacement, returns and economic hardship compound trauma among Syrian civilians, especially children and survivors of conflict.

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The hidden crisis of mental health

One year after the fall of the Assad regime, Syrians continue to live with the aftershocks of more than a decade of war, violence, displacement, and loss. Daily life is shaped by intermittent access to water and electricity, shortages of basic goods, and persistent insecurity.........

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