Syria
Global Communities addresses the most pressing humanitarian needs of displaced and conflict-affected Syrians while working for sustainable economic development and recovery.
Global Communities has been a leading humanitarian actor in Syria since 2014. Over the past decade, the country has endured a brutal conflict that has displaced over half its population, causing widespread hardship.
We focus on addressing the critical needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities by providing comprehensive support in food security, shelter, livelihoods, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Our approach goes beyond immediate relief; we collaborate with local organizations to help displaced Syrians adapt to their new circumstances, restore stability, and build resilience for the future.
The fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, marked a significant turning point for the Syrian people. While the road to rebuilding a unified nation — under its original borders and under one Government — remains complex, violence is decreasing and hope is beginning to return. As stability grows, more displaced families are finding the opportunity to return to their homes.
To adjust to the changing context in Syria, Global Communities is transitioning its operational base from Gaziantep in Türkiye to Damascus in Syria. We expect the transition to be complete by the end of 2025, at which point we also anticipate being fully registered in Syria.
Global Communities partners with trusted Syrian nongovernmental organizations to implement a principled, community-centered response. We have a strong record of delivering safe and effective programs, with a clear commitment to preventing waste, fraud, and misuse of aid — challenges that have long undermined humanitarian efforts.
As Syria’s political and humanitarian landscape continues to evolve, Global Communities is working to adapt our programs and services to meet the changing needs of affected populations. Despite the shifting context, we remain focused on delivering essential support while fostering resilience and long-term recovery.
Current Programs
A Lifeline for Communities Affected by Conflict
More than 75% of people in Syria still rely on humanitarian assistance after years of conflict. Our Lifesaving Interventions for Emergencies (LIFE) program helps families in the hardest-hit areas of northwest and northeast Syria with essentials like food, clean water, safe shelter, and protection services. Many of the communities we serve, including ethnic and religious minorities, were displaced by ISIS and remain especially vulnerable.
In 2024 alone, LIFE provided food assistance to an estimated 170,000 people, including more than 46,000 individuals across four camps in northeast Syria. In northwest Syria, we supplied safe water every day for an entire camp of more than 127,000 displaced people — ensuring families had what they needed to cook, wash, and stay healthy.
Beyond food and water, LIFE provides other vital support. Families receive bread to meet daily needs, while farmers are equipped with agricultural kits to strengthen local food production. Cash and voucher assistance allows people to decide what matters most for their households, whether that is food, clothing, or medicine. For those displaced from their homes, shelter rehabilitation offers safer, more stable temporary housing. And across the camps and communities we serve, we create safe spaces for children, provide services to prevent gender-based violence, and extend mental health and psychosocial support to those who need it most.
From Temporary Shelter to Dignified, Durable Housing
Our Community Rehabilitation and Enhanced Shelter Transition (CREST) program aims to improve living conditions for vulnerable individuals and families in the Mhambal sub-district by transforming the Eudwan Camp from an informal tent settlement into a planned, well-equipped community for more than 10,000 displaced people. Our approach addresses multiple needs at once while building a foundation for long-term stability.
In the shelter sector, we are developing the site to provide dignified, durable housing through a cash-for-shelter approach. We are also upgrading essential services by installing and improving water, sewage, and waste management systems. These steps will help protect health and improve daily life for residents.
To help families recover and earn a living, we are repairing roads and culverts around the camp, creating cash-for-work opportunities, and supporting skilled workshops. We are also forming and training a Community Mobilization Committee, working alongside local leaders to promote social cohesion, support livelihoods, and ensure the camp is well maintained.
By combining better housing, essential services, economic opportunities, and strong community structures, this program is creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable environment for everyone who lives in the Eudwan Camp.
Seeds of Stability: Supporting Farmers, Families, and Futures in Northwest Syria Through Agriculture
The Humanitarian Interventions through Lifesaving and Livelihood Support (HILLS) program, implemented by Global Communities and Syria Relief, is addressing urgent needs in Atmeh Camp in Idleb, Northwest Syria, while helping communities build long-term resilience.
In Atmeh Camp, HILLS is supporting camp coordination and management through a community-driven approach. A total of 48 care and maintenance committee members are receiving training and equipment to improve living conditions, with a focus on maintaining the camp’s flood protection systems.
The program is also reducing food insecurity in Syria’s conflict-affected areas. Vulnerable farmers whose harvests have declined are receiving targeted support to boost wheat production. This includes seeds, fertilizer, fuel for irrigation, pesticide vouchers, extension services, and training throughout the growing season. Farmers are also receiving harvest assistance through postpaid cash. These efforts help protect crops from pests, disease, and drought, while restoring agricultural livelihoods.
To strengthen the wheat value chain, HILLS is rehabilitating the Al Rahmeh mill with new flour fortification units and making minor repairs to two public bakeries in Azaz city. Once the wheat is harvested, the program will recover 293 metric tons from participating farmers, mill it, and provide subsidized fortified bread to the local community. This will benefit approximately 52,272 people in Azaz, while milling by-products will be sold by the Azaz Local Council to cover production costs.
By combining community-led infrastructure improvements with targeted agricultural support and affordable nutrition, HILLS is helping families meet their immediate needs while laying the groundwork for greater stability and self-reliance.
Previous Programs
Reviving Farming and Food Security in Syria
The Growing Agriculture and Incomes in Syria (GROW) program worked to improve food security and strengthen agricultural markets in non-regime-controlled areas of Syria. Its goals were to increase local food production, expand access to affordable, nutritious food, and raise the incomes of farmers and agribusinesses.
GROW partnered with private businesses, community organizations, research institutions, and local authorities to ensure locally driven, sustainable solutions. Instead of delivering inputs directly, the program encouraged the adoption of improved seeds, technologies, infrastructure, and climate-smart practices that reduced risks from drought, pests, and disease. These efforts helped farmers boost yields, improve quality, and strengthen resilience to climate change.
To improve markets, GROW connected producers with buyers and service providers, supported safe food handling and value-added processing, and rehabilitated or built key food system infrastructure. The program also increased access to finance and business development services for farmers and small enterprises, fostering job creation and opening new opportunities, especially for women and youth.
By the end of the program, GROW had strengthened both the supply of and access to nutritious food, improved livelihoods, and laid the foundation for a more resilient agricultural sector that could continue meeting community needs into the future. (closed in 2025)
ATLAS: Restoring Hope and Meeting Urgent Needs
Over the course of 24 months, Global Communities carried out the Assistance to Lives Across Syria (ATLAS I and II) program, reaching 332,529 people in Northeast and Northwest Syria with lifesaving support. The program focused on two main goals: improving food security for 123,624 people through food distributions and agricultural assistance, and improving living conditions for 219,670 people through protection services, safe water and sanitation, and shelter repairs.
In February 2023, when a devastating earthquake struck southeastern Türkiye and Northwest Syria, ATLAS II expanded its reach. With additional funding and time, we were able to provide emergency multi-purpose cash assistance to 10,000 earthquake survivors, giving them the means to meet their most urgent needs. By combining long-term recovery efforts with rapid disaster response, ATLAS II not only addressed immediate hardships but also helped communities begin to rebuild with dignity. (closed in 2023)
Helping Syrian Families Rebuild Through Agriculture
From 2019 to 2023, Global Communities implemented the Supporting Livelihoods in Syria (SLS) program to help families and communities in Northeast Syria strengthen food security and rebuild agriculture-based livelihoods. The program rehabilitated 20 bakeries, improving access to affordable bread for local communities. It also shared the findings of a wheat value chain study to inform better farming and market practices.
In Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor governorates, 11,685 farmers received more than 4,400 metric tons of certified wheat seeds, allowing them to plant over 20,000 hectares of wheat. To support herders, SLS provided in-kind assistance to 16 veterinary service providers, helping them restore and expand their services. As a result, 80,000 livestock received treatment, protecting a vital source of food and income for rural families. (closed in 2023)
Protecting Households Through Harsh Winters
Through the Atmeh Winter Assistance and Resilience Efforts (AWARE) program, Global Communities provided winter support to 3,500 of the most vulnerable households in Atmeh Camp, reaching 17,938 people. The support prioritized households with persons with disabilities, female-headed households, child-headed households, and elderly people living alone.
A total of $525,000 in cash vouchers was distributed, allowing displaced families to purchase essential winter items and stay safe and warm during the cold season. AWARE also improved living conditions for 21,823 people across 15 flood-affected sites in Qourqeena and Maaret Tamsrin sub-districts by rehabilitating basic infrastructure to reduce flood risks.
The program repaired roads, improving access for vehicles and water trucks even during winter, and installed lighting poles to enhance safety, especially for women. Rain drainage channels, manholes, and rain grills were installed to help prevent flooding. The program also created employment opportunities through a cash-for-work activity, providing 30 workers with conditional cash transfers.
Through these efforts, AWARE ensured vulnerable families had the resources, infrastructure, and support they needed to live safely and with dignity during harsh winter conditions and in flood-prone areas. (closed in 2024)
Impact
2.65 million
people reached with integrated humanitarian assistance since 2014
$23.4 million
worth of food assistance delivered via cash and vouchers
327,500
individuals supported by reliable and safe water and sanitation services since 2014
Resources
News
Rebuilding Syria’s Breadbasket from Seed to Loaf
In northern Syria, part of the region’s recovery can be measured in loaves of bread. After years of conflict and drought, each one represents a farmer returning to the fields, a mill restored to operation, and a bakery back in business. That revival is at the heart of the Humanitarian Interventions through Lifesaving and Livelihood…
After More Than a Decade of Conflict, LIFE Offers a Path Forward for Syrian Families
After more than a decade of conflict and displacement, the LIFE program is helping Syrian families rebuild stability with vital food assistance, clean water, and pathways toward long-term resilience.
Returning Home At Last: A Fragile New Chapter in Northern Syria
By Jasper Vaughn The past six months have brought both upheaval and hope for people displaced by conflict in northern Syria. Since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, more than 470,000 refugees have returned to Syria, and more than 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) — those displaced within the country, either within…