The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011, has touched off a humanitarian crisis that has inundated the rest of the region. Some 12.2 million Syrians have been displaced by the nearly four-year conflict inside the country and are in need of assistance, while another four million now live as refugees in neighbouring countries facing worsening conditions in exile. Out of the total, nearly four million women and girls of reproductive age and half a million pregnant Syrian women are at risk of related health and protection issues.

Humanitarian agencies, including UNFPA, with the financial support of international donors are making great efforts to provide assistance to vulnerable populations, reaching the unreached, supporting people to cope in difficulty situations and helping the region address the overwhelming strain on services. The crisis will have huge consequences not only for the future of Syrian families but also for the social structures, demography and development of Syria and the whole region.