“Displacement took more than my home”: Women and girls describe fleeing violence in northern Syria

ALEPPO, Syrian Arab Republic - When fighting intensified near her neighbourhood in Aleppo, in northern Syria, Fatima and her family had to run. Now eight months pregnant and sheltering in a makeshift camp, the mother of three said her biggest fear isn't the biting cold - it's what will happen if she goes into labour.

"I worry about my health, but I worry more about where to go if something happens," she confided. "Displacement is not just losing your home. It's losing your privacy, your safety and access to healthcare, especially as a woman."

Fatima is one of tens of thousands of women and girls affected by the recent violence and insecurity around Aleppo, which has forced large numbers of people to flee, disrupted essential services and shut down hospitals.

"We fled under bombardment, with nothing but our fear," Farida, 39, told UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, which is the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency.

"Every step we took felt like it could be our last."

A UNFPA-supported health worker delivers essential healthcare at a clinic in Al-Hassakeh, for women and girls forced to flee Aleppo in Northern Syria @ UNFPA Syria/Haneen Albadran

An evolving crisis

UNFPA and its partners have deployed mobile health teams to reach displaced people with sexual and reproductive health services, dignity kits containing essential hygiene items, and psychosocial counselling. The teams are also referring displaced people to a broader network of humanitarian assistance, as people struggle to find a safe haven for themselves and their families.

In Aleppo, some 58,000 people are still displaced following recent clashes between the Security Forces of the transition Government and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. Insecurity has also now spread to surrounding areas, including Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor Governorates. With transport and public services disrupted, it is even harder for those trying to escape the violence to access critical health support.

Winter conditions have only deepened the suffering: Thousands are now enduring freezing temperatures, sheltering in makeshift camps, former schools and unfinished buildings across northern and northeastern Syria.

Ruhan, a mother of three from Aleppo, fled with only what she could carry. "The cold is unbearable. My biggest fear is keeping my children warm and safe," she told UNFPA, which provided her with reproductive health services, counselling and a dignity kit.

In a neighbourhood of Aleppo, women and girls displaced by violence receive reproductive health support and dignity kits, which include essential hygiene item

Supporting displaced women and girls

As of December 2025, more than 890,000 people had been newly displaced in Syria due to intermittent violence, adding to almost 7 million already displaced inside the country. While over 2 million internally displaced people and 1.3 million refugees have returned to their areas of origin, many are going back to communities where basic services are damaged, overstretched or barely functioning.

After 14 years of conflict, climate shocks and economic decline, Syria's recovery remains fragile and uneven, and humanitarian needs are immense. The healthcare system is severely damaged, with just over half of hospitals and one third of primary healthcare centres functional. This has left around 400,000 pregnant women struggling to access maternity services.

Yet funding cuts are further restricting access to care, placing over 100 UNFPA-supported service delivery points at risk of closure in 2026. Sustained international investment is essential to restore healthcare, strengthen local systems and support recovery for Syria's women and girls.

In 2026, UNFPA is appealing for US$45 million to provide life-saving health and protection services to women and girls across Syria.