Action For Humanity calls for greater support for humanitarian aid in Syria, following the escalation of hostilities in Aleppo, which has led to civilian casualties and mass displacement.

Action For Humanity, formerly known as Syria Relief, one of the leading aid agencies in Syria, has called for greater humanitarian funding support for Syria, amidst an escalation in violence.

Renewed hostilities this week have resulted in civilian casualties and large-scale displacement across Aleppo. At least six civilians have been killed and more than 30 injured, the majority of them women and children. Residential buildings and surrounding civilian infrastructure have sustained damage and intensified shelling, including in the densely populated neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which has triggered mass displacement. More than 1,500 families have fled since humanitarian corridors opened.

Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Action For Humanity’s Country Director in Syria, says:

The escalation has generated urgent and wide-ranging humanitarian needs. It is vital that the international community provide increased funding for the aid efforts in Syria.

Civilians are in immediate need of protection. Food insecurity is rising sharply, necessitating the urgent provision of ready-to-eat food, emergency food baskets, nutritional support for infants and young children, and access to safe drinking water.

Currently, humanitarian operations are severely constrained by ongoing hostilities, security restrictions and damage to critical infrastructure, limiting access to affected neighbourhoods and placing intense pressure on local response mechanisms. Despite these challenges, humanitarian actors, including Action For Humanity, are coordinating closely with local authorities and community partners. The immediate response efforts are focused on emergency shelter support and ready-to-eat food assistance, with additional interventions planned as access and security conditions allow.

Action For Humanity is calling on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and allow safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected populations.”

Security conditions in and around Aleppo have deteriorated rapidly since 5 January following direct fire exchanges between the SDF and government forces. The situation escalated further on 6 January when Syrian forces responded to sources of fire, leading to the use of heavier weapons, including shelling and reported drone strikes. Syrian authorities have since declared the affected areas closed military zones and imposed additional security restrictions.

The risk of sustained and widening hostilities remains high. There are serious concerns that fighting may expand into the eastern countryside of Aleppo - including Deir Hafer and Maskanah - significantly increasing risks to civilians and further restricting humanitarian access. Shelter capacity is already under severe strain and is expected to deteriorate further as displacement continues. The affected neighbourhoods are home to more than 50,000 civilians, and military operations are expected to continue in the coming days.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITOR

Representatives from the organisation are available for interview. For more information, contact Charles Lawley, Director of Communications for Action For Humanity at charles.lawley@actionforhumanity.org or +447535415060.

Action For Humanity provides aid and assistance to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. We are the parent charity of Syria Relief, the UK’s largest Syria-focused humanitarian aid organisation. As an NGO, we are guided by our drive to help others, not profit. Based in Manchester, Action For Humanity has operations in Syria, Yemen, Gaza, and other locations

Background

Following the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Syrian Democratic Forces retained de facto control over large areas of north-east Syria. Despite the political transition, the future status of these areas remained unresolved in negotiations with the new Syrian government, particularly regarding territorial control and security integration.

Aleppo has remained especially sensitive within this broader context.1 An agreement signed in March 2025 to extend government authority to these areas was not implemented before its expiry at the end of 2025. Throughout 2025, tensions persisted and were marked by restrictions on civilian movement and intermittent shelling affecting residential neighbourhoods and key access roads. These dynamics created a fragile security environment that has now escalated into open hostilities with serious humanitarian consequences.