SYRIA HUMANITARIAN FUND Q3 2026 NEWSLETTER

INAUGURAL ISSUE

Quarterly Newsletter | Q3 2026

Pooled funding. Local reach. Lasting impact.

15.6 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance

The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 32 per cent funded.

Since December 2024, more than 2 million internally displaced people and 1.8 million refugees have returned home, often to damaged houses, contaminated land and disrupted essential services. In 2026, the Syria Humanitarian Fund has responded with speed and focus. Each allocation targets a distinct need, from lifesaving assistance at scale and protection in areas with limited access to safe and dignified returns. Your contributions make this possible.

“The Syria Humanitarian Fund is more than a financing instrument. It is a commitment to deliver faster, more coherently, and more accountably for people in need.”

Nathalie Fustier, Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria

One strategy, three allocations approach

Delivering Lifesaving Aid at Speed and Scale

Built to reach people where needs are most severe, as fast as possible.

Staying Close Where Few Remain

Protection through presence in Quneitra and nearby areas of Dar’a and Rural Damascus.

• $5 million was launched on 31 July 2026, following an escalation of hostilities in the area

• Operational humanitarian organizations in the affected sub-districts fell from 54 in 2025 to 29 in early 2026

• Seven priority sub-districts in Quneitra, Dar’a and Rural Damascus

• Six partners (four international and two national non-governmental organizations) reaching about 65,000 people

• Area-based support centred on protection, combined with livelihoods, health, nutrition, cash, shelter and water

   

View the allocation strategy →

Helping People Return Home Safely

• $95 million launched on 5 August 2026 and is now being finalized

• Almost 2 million people targeted, including displaced people, returnees, and people who intend to return

• Rapid-response funding pre-positioned with eight partners, five of them national organizations

• Localization and innovation built into every envelope, with a stronger role for national NGOs, women-led organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities

View the allocation strategy →

Global Funding Reinforces the Response

The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) extends and complements SHF funding.

• $18 million CERF Underfunded Emergencies allocation over 12 months

• $1.5 million gender envelope to strengthen gender equality and the engagement of women-led organizations

• Covers underfunded sectors and gaps that Reserve Allocation 1 did not fully reach, including through cash and partnerships with national actors

• $0.8 million to keep United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flights running

Seeing the Response Firsthand

Between 15 and 20 August, OCHA Acting Assistant Secretary‑General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Indrika Ratwatte visited Syria, undertaking field missions to Ar-Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor, Aleppo, Idleb and Damascus. engaging with governors, government counterparts, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, women‑led organizations, and affected communities. The mission included visits to several Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF)-supported projects, health, education, protection, and recovery initiatives.  

Keeping Eyes on the Ground

Every visit checks one thing: that assistance reaches the right people, on time and with dignity.