Syria, one of the world’s most notorious countries for its 13-year civil war, has a new government. What is it like for mothers, siblings, friends and families in Syria now? The bombed areas of Syria are still standing, but the NGO Mission East and partners are fighting for new opportunities, for the self-employed, for children’s rights, gender equality in jobs, and help for a whole new life: but resources are completely scarce.
Walking through the rubble, it seems that death is an active energy around a population that has experienced extreme trauma, and continues to do so. The country is crying out for reconstruction, which is also underway in some places around Damascus, as well as social capacity building in many places in the country.
Coordination for a freer Syria seems like a possibility, but the country is still in a position where some groups benefit more from a current government than others.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Aleppo, Northern Syria. A woman and child walk through an area that has been bombed to pieces. Not far from the site, even after the fall of the regime in 2024, there remains a front line, north of Aleppo.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Wisal (44): Aleppo. She has children who are also at the center that Mission East supports. She is internally displaced from Kurdish localities. They cannot go back, due to tensions between the current government and the Kurds. Her husband is a taxi driver. One of her children works. Their economic situation is poor. She works mostly, washing clothes, she makes flowers, from paper Eva.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Anonymous: Damascus. Several children. She felt ostracized when she married a certain man. Before, you weren’t allowed to have an opinion, now you are. The mother has two brothers. Everyone here has been accused. Her husband has disappeared and was called a terrorist in the past. All her feelings couldn’t be told to anyone. One child was only three months old. The oldest son was 6 years old. They were displaced to another place. Without anything. The children look challenged. Displacement was a miracle.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Mr. Nazmi (64): Homs. With a tent by his destroyed house from war. An earthquake, and these houses are completely collapsing. In 2013, they moved from Damascus, to Lebanon, after the fall of the regime, then they came back here, in the province of Homs. His son is dead. Their household is the other house than the one in the tent, with rubble. When the Assad regime fell, they were happy, but when they came back, they were sad: the house is destroyed, no income, everything is different.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
EPDC Child Friendly Space / Mission East: Aleppo. A group of women are being taught a number of exciting social perspectives to optimize their mental health and help their children in a situation where many have experienced major trauma in their lives. Around 1,000 children are affected by the school program. Many children feel fear after the regime change. Aleppo is not stable with fighting with, for example, the Kurdish. Experienced in protecting children. To select the location, they visited many in research. They chose this place with the best protection, where there are also IDPs etc. around. There has been a lot of conflict in Aleppo.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Mona (Teenager 14 years): Ghouta East Damascus, Daryia: Reconstruction and repair are active. Outskirts of Damascus: Affected by the civil war. A daughter with breast cancer. Has lost her hand. “Cash For Protection” through Shield / Mission East. She used to be a student, but stopped. She took doses for cancer treatment. She stopped. It is permanent. She goes for check-ups to see how things are going with her medication, treatment and needs. She wakes up in the morning, checks her health, gets water and sometimes watches TV. Plays with her brother. That’s it. The hardest thing is losing her hand. She goes for walks with her brother and plays in the yard. When the cancer started, they didn’t know what it was. So, the hand was affected. After the operation she got a picture and then they discovered the cancer. That’s why they had to continue the whole treatment and remove the hand. Now she has a minor degree in her lungs. The other children didn’t understand her situation. Transport for treatment is far away. The money she got from Mission East helped her get there. Otherwise, she couldn’t. She dreams of a new hand.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Homs, north of Damascus. An area that has been bombed to pieces. The area has many groups of both soldiers and population groups, and here the living conditions are particularly challenged.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Abd Almoin (40): Homs. War injury: he has lost his arm. Lives in a tent, but hopes to rehouse in his old home. He cannot work because of his injury. Soldier, injured in Damascus. Fought against the previous government as a soldier. He is in debt in his situation and hopes to join a project with a cow. He moved to Jordan after his previous injury. Now he is in Homs with his home and family. Two children and a wife.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
EPDC Child Friendly Space / Mission East: Aleppo. But the parents think this place is good. Recreational activity, emotional practical exercises: happy, shame, excited, anger, fear, to help with this. Non-violent communication. No discrimination communication. 6-14 years. 6-9 and 10-14 division. Several children have courses. The place networks with other places. For example, a service.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Homs: marked by fierce war. Syria is in great need of humanitarian aid. There was a regime change on December 8, 2024. This bombed school stands like this in November 2025. Mission East is fighting with its local partner Lamsa to make further progress in the population.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Homs: Children play on shattered rubble just before sunset and the return journey home. The outskirts of Homs.
Syria War: Seeing Alone
Syrian children at EPDC Child Friendly Space / Mission East: Almost 26 million inhabitants in Syria. 13 million have either fled the country or moved to other places in Syria since 2011. Children do exercises in strong teaching about emotions, to learn more about each other and themselves.