{"id":107370,"date":"2019-11-04T10:51:20","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T08:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/where-we-work\/syyria\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T08:23:11","slug":"syria","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/where-we-work\/syria\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Syria<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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According to the UNDP, estimates for 2025 and 2026 indicate that approximately 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, 16 million people rely on humanitarian aid and 27% of Syrians live in extreme poverty (less than \u20ac1.83 a day).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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Finn Church Aid (FCA) has been working in Syria since 2018 to support communities through programmes in education, livelihoods, peacebuilding, and emergency response. FCA adopts a nexus approach, integrating humanitarian response, development, and peacebuilding efforts to ensure sustainable impact. The organization responds to urgent needs while simultaneously supporting early recovery and long-term resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particular emphasis is placed on supporting returnees through tailored interventions that facilitate reintegration, restore access to basic services, and strengthen livelihoods, while promoting social cohesion and stability within communities.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Population:<\/strong> 25,7million
Capital:<\/strong> Damascus
Currency:<\/strong> Syrian pound
Languages: <\/strong>Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English
FCA in Syria: Country office established in<\/strong> 2019, programmes with a local partner have been implemented for a decade<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

FCA operates across all governorates through field offices in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Lattakia, with a main coordination office in Damascus. Our work is rooted in close community engagement, ensuring that local priorities shape interventions and contribute to sustainable, people\u2011centered outcomes. FCA is officially registered and authorized to operate in Syria by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (registration number: 25037), ensuring compliance with national regulations and accountable programme delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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Our results since 2024<\/span><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Education<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

36,400<\/span>\u00a0people<\/span>\u00a0reached through school rehabilitation work, including providing school kits, remedial\u00a0<\/span>classes<\/span>\u00a0and capacity building.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Livelihood <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

8,740<\/span>\u00a0people reached through business grants and cash for work.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FCA Syria works to improve access to safe, inclusive, and quality education in Syria by addressing economic barriers and strengthening learning environments. Support includes cash assistance to help families keep children in school, provision of school supplies and winter clothing, remedial education, rehabilitation of school infrastructure, teacher capacity building, and the promotion of inclusive education to meet diverse learning needs In addition, leading the development of the National Framework for Disability Inclusion in Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other humanitarian actors, while serving as Chair of the Disability Inclusion and Protection Technical Working Group to strengthen and promote disability inclusion among national and international NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Classroom
Khadija Al Kubra School was rehabilitated by FCA to support inclusive education, including the addition of a resource room. Students also received stationery and school bags. The project was funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF). Credit: Yolla Addas <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Livelihoods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FCA Syria supports vulnerable individuals to transform their skills to build sustainable livelihoods through business grants, essential tools, and productive assets, combined with targeted training in small and medium business and project management. The approach focuses on enabling individuals to develop viable income-generating activities found decent work, ensuring that support leads to meaningful, lasting impact and improved economic self-reliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marwa, a 59-year-old woman head of household in Lattakia, received a livelihood grant to support her beekeeping business. With extensive experience in queen bee breeding and royal jelly production, she is now preparing to launch bee venom extraction using safe and sustainable methods. The project was funded by the Government of Finland. Credit: Ali Muhanna <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Peace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FCA Syria promotes peace and social cohesion by supporting inclusive dialogue, civic engagement, and community-led initiatives that strengthen trust and cooperation. FCA works closely with communities and partners to amplify the voices of women, youth, and people from diverse backgrounds, including religious and minority groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the establishment of community committees and participatory platforms, FCA ensures that local voices are heard and that no one is left behind. The organization fosters peaceful coexistence through activities that encourage participation, mutual understanding, and collective action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operating at both grassroots and policy levels, FCA contributes to the national civic peace strategy in Syria. This includes building the capacity of communities to engage effectively, advocate for their needs, and share best practices with duty bearers, ultimately promoting inclusive and informed decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back to school campaign in Debsi Faraj village in Raqqa. This project is funded by the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF). Credit: Yolla Addas <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Emergency Responses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When wildfires affected communities in Lattakia in 2025 and before, and the 2023 earthquake struck Syria, FCA responded rapidly to meet urgent needs while upholding dignity. Support included cash assistance, hygiene kits, psychosocial first aid, shelter materials, warm clothing, and safe learning spaces for children. Alongside emergency response, FCA works with communities and schools to strengthen public health and hygiene practices through awareness activities, helping prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera and COVID\u201119, and supporting more resilient communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People
Mattresses and blankets were distributed by FCA to displaced people from Lebanon to Syria in the border city of Al-Qusayr in Homs. This is funded by FCA (DF Fund). Credit: Ammar Barakat\u202f <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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