Obstacles hamper delivery of UN aid to southern Syria

A severe shortage of funding and persistent access challenges are hindering the ability of humanitarian organizations to meet needs in southern Syria, resulting in a 68% drop in the number of beneficiaries during October. Despite assistance reaching hundreds of thousands each month, security risks and explosive remnants of war continue to disrupt movement and limit the delivery of aid and essential services.

15 November, 2025 10:15

NEWSDESK

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that aid workers on the ground continue supporting the humanitarian response in southern Syria despite the significant funding gap. The Humanitarian Needs Response Plan for the country, valued at USD 3.2 billion, has received only a quarter of the required amount (USD 778 million).

Despite these constraints, the United Nations stated that humanitarian assistance reaches more than 350,000 people monthly across Syria. The World Food Programme provides around 400 metric tons of flour per week to support public bakeries. UNICEF has assisted in rehabilitating schools in Sweida.

It also confirmed that partners working in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector are transporting water by truck in Daraa and Sweida. In October alone, partners provided more than 19,000 cubic meters of drinking water and 78,000 liters of fuel to operate essential water and sanitation facilities in both governorates.

Humanitarian organizations and local authorities are also working to stabilize basic services, including rehabilitating electricity networks. However, aid workers warned that limited funding and access constraints led to a 68% decline in the number of people reached in Sweida, Daraa, and Rural Damascus in October compared with September of the same year.

OCHA noted that the situation remains volatile, with more than 180,000 displaced people in southern Syria facing intermittent incidents that disrupt movement and access, particularly in rural areas.

It added that explosive remnants of war continue to pose a serious threat to local residents and displaced families. In October, partners reported 15 injuries resulting from explosive ordnance incidents. Humanitarian workers continue survey and clearance operations and conduct risk-awareness activities according to security conditions and available funding.

Meanwhile, residents of Sweida complain of limited assistance reaching them, especially flour and medicine, along with the continued blockade imposed by the interim government forces on the city and its countryside since mid-July of this year.

A-H

ANHA