World Vision Syria Response (WVSR) continues to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria, where 16.7 million people, including 7.4 million children, require assistance. In FY2025, WVSR supported over 4.2 million individuals across Syria, Jordan, and Türkiye through programs in health, education, WASH, child protection, and livelihoods.

The escalation of hostilities in Lebanon is intense and rapidly expanding, resulting in nearly 820,000 forcibly displaced people - more than 200,000 of them children - in less than two weeks. Evacuation orders are expanding, with the country to the south launching the ‘South of Zahrani River’ initiative. Evacuation orders now encompass the entire region south of the Litani River, triggering waves of mass displacement as well as repeated displacement among already vulnerable families. In several Christian-majority towns in the South, residents initially resisted leaving their homes, but were ultimately evacuated under the escort of UNIFIL for civilian protection. Hostilities are increasingly affecting areas beyond the ‘traditional’ frontline zones, a troubling trend that points to a more aggressive escalation than that of 2024. Recent airstrikes hit the neighborhoods of Haret Saida, Tyre, Aramoun, Ramlet El Bayda, areas deemed safer, in one case targeting a car nearby displaced families staying in tents. Targeting of central Beirut is new - with strikes on hotels and residential buildings that inevidably affect civilians in the surrounding areas. An estimated have been killed, with 81 children killed since March 1. UNICEF estimates that 10 children per day are killed. Lebanon’s Ministry of Social Affairs reports 822,600 internally displaced people self-registered on the Government’s digital platform, indicating that overall displacement is significantly higher than that captured through collective shelter reporting. In addition, almost 84,000 Syrians and more than 8,000 Lebanese have crossed into Syria since 2 March. Violations to International Humanitarian Law continue, with frontline responders at great risk. To date, 14 paramedics were killed, including one member of the Lebanese Red Cross, underscoring the growing risks faced by emergency personnel.

This reflection marks the anniversary of the Syria conflict while highlighting signs of renewed hope and change for Syrian communities. Despite ongoing needs, the progress seen in education, nutrition, and essential services signals new beginnings and resilience for the Syrian people.

The escalation of hostilities in Lebanon has now entered day 15, while regional tensions linked to the wider conflict continued for 17 days, with no immediate indication of de-escalation. Evacuation orders continue to expand across South Lebanon, Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, with warnings issued by the country to the south instructing residents to evacuate and indicating that return will not be permitted until further notice. Reports state that entire families who chose to remain in their homes in some affected areas have been killed during strikes, highlighting the severe protection risks facing civilians. In recent days, strikes have increasingly targeted critical infrastructure and transport routes, including two key bridges connecting major towns in South Lebanon, further disrupting civilian movement and humanitarian access. Trucks transporting goods are reportedly warned not to move along the southern coastal road, further constraining assistance delivery. Airstrikes also impacted central Beirut and residential areas in Mount Lebanon, reflecting the continued expansion of hostilities beyond traditional frontline zones. Meanwhile, displacement continues to rise, and shelter capacity remains under severe strain. With collective shelters overcrowded or at full capacity, many displaced families have been forced to seek alternative arrangements, including unfinished buildings, informal shelters, and makeshift tents along the coastal Corniche from Saida to Beirut. Recent heavy rainstorms and falling temperatures have further worsened conditions, destroying displacement tents and flooding temporary sites, leaving displaced households exposed to harsh weather and heightened risks. The prolonged escalation is also contributing to pockets of civil unrest, as well as heightened social tensions in several areas, with growing fears among communities that prolonged displacement and political polarization could increase the risk of localized sectarian tensions.

In 2025, WV Syria Response reached 4.22M people despite crisis, expanding access, meeting communities, and reaffirming its mission to help children thrive.

World Vision Ukraine has supported over 2.3 million people since 2022, providing essential aid and protection to conflict-affected communities across most regions of Ukraine.

Nokuthula S. Khumalo, Technical Director Global Humanitarian Surge, highlights that in prolonged crises like Syria, it is not organisational charts that protect children, but trust. As humanitarian systems shift under funding pressure and political change, Thula reflects on how internal instability shows up in delayed care, weakened safeguarding, and broken continuity for children. Opening offices is quick; earning staff confidence after years of uncertainty is not. Thula emphasises that listening, presence and honest communication matter more than procedural fixes when certainty is impossible. Fourteen years into the Syria crisis, if children are to experience continuity, safety, and care during humanitarian transitions, then staff stability and trust must be funded as deliberately as security, supply chains or monitoring systems. Trusted frontline teams are the backbone of safe, child-focused action.

MEER faces some of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises. Shifting conflict dynamics, climate shocks, and economic deterioration continue to drive multi-layered and chronic needs. Despite the volatile context, shrinking funding and civic space, and access challenges, World Vision has maintained operational presence and scaled up humanitarian programming across the region for more than five decades.