Providing Aid to Repatriated Syrian Refugees and IDPs
Summary
In 2025, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) committed to launching a $50 million, multi-year initiative to support the voluntary return, reintegration, and dignified resettlement of 1.25 million displaced Syrians by November 2030. Though the Syrian Civil War left 90% of Syrians impoverished, humanitarian support remains chronically underfunded, underscoring the need for this intervention. Working with Mercy Without Limits, the Syrian Emergency Task Force, Project C.U.R.E., and others, IRUSA will provide essential services to repatriated Syrians with a focus on women-led households and children. The project will provide much-needed food vouchers and direct cash assistance, while shelter support will begin with rental assistance for urban returnees, shifting to more sustainable housing as the project progresses. Health interventions will improve facility infrastructure, deploy mobile clinics, offer mental health support, and provide $100 million in medical supplies which will be distributed based on the findings from a needs assessment.
Approach
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) commits to launching a $50 million, multi-year initiative to support the voluntary return, reintegration, and dignified resettlement of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) , with a focus on women-led households and vulnerable children. With $15 million in initial funding, this initiative will strengthen local infrastructure, restore access to essential services, and create pathways for economic inclusion by introducing a microfinance and economic empowerment program, providing vulnerable children with access to proper health care and education, and collaborating with local authorities to navigate geopolitical complexities.
A large portion of displaced people are unable to move on their own and therefore need assistance. IRUSA and its partners will help displaced Syrians make informed decisions on their returns, provide transportation, assess security risks, and ensure that returnees can access basic resources. The project will provide food vouchers to repatriated Syrians, while health interventions will improve facility infrastructure, deploy mobile clinics, and offer mental health support. Shelter support will begin with rental assistance for urban returnees, shifting to more sustainable housing as the project progresses. IRUSA will ensure effective implementation through ongoing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) , while promoting project sustainability by building the capacity of local partners who can continue work after the project ends.
IRUSA’s partners, Mercy Without Limits (MWL) and the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) , have cultural competence and extensive local networks, allowing for collaboration with community-based organizations. MWL will rehabilitate schools and provide food assistance, economic empowerment, orphan care, and cash assistance, while the SETF will help relocate IDPs, coordinate with the government, and distribute food. Project C.U.R.E., an in-kind funder, will use its medical equipment and logistical expertise to source $100 million of essential health supplies for repatriated Syrians. Other partners excel in recordkeeping for refugees, which will allow the project to deploy and track resources effectively.
Action Plan
Q3 2025 – Design and drafting RFPs for core and other partners to kick off onboarding. IRUSA will also host a roundtable with local partners, including CBOs, to get a local perspective.
Q4 2025 – Connect with relevant government ministries to conduct a needs assessment which will allow the project to ascertain medical supplies gaps and the health facilities with the greatest needs.
Q1 2026 – Review project proposals and commence sourcing of medical equipment with Project C.U.R.E. based on findings in the needs assessment.
Q2 2026 – Formally approve and sign partner scopes of work. Disburse an initial $5 million in cash to vulnerable repatriated Syrians.
Q3 2026 – Commence implementation around economic empowerment and livelihoods, economic empowerment and livelihoods, repatriation, health, and shelter. IRUSA to fill program implementation gaps by finding additional partners with relevant expertise as necessary.
Q4 2026 – First shipment of medical materials with Project C.U.R.E., to extend through Q3 2030. Disburse another $5 million in cash to repatriated Syrians.
Q1 2027 – US-based IRUSA staff to conduct first monitoring trips.
Q2 2027 – Core project partners, including IRUSA, to host capacity building support and training for local partners (CBOs) , building on experience in other geographies.
Q2 2028 – Mid-term evaluation and financial audit
Q3 2030 – Project close-out and final evaluation and financial audit
Throughout implementation, IRUSA will liaise with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to determine which refugees and IDPs have been replaced and which services are reaching them. This coordination will allow IRUSA and its partners to nimbly deploy resources where they are most needed.
Background
Since the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, over 1.4 million Syrian refugees and IDPs (of more than 14 million displaced) have returned to their homes (UNHCR, 2025) . They are often coming back to shattered communities – during the Syrian Civil War, over one million homes (UN, 2022) and 7,000 schools were damaged or destroyed (UNICEF, 2025) , 37 percent of hospitals were put out of operation (Brookings, 2025) , and the agricultural sector incurred over $16 billion in damage (Carnegie Endowment, 2024) . As a result, the poverty rate in Syria is about 90 percent (World Bank, 2025) . Population dwellings are overcrowded, lacking in basic supplies, and especially unsuitable for the harsh winter months (Humanitarian Action, 2025) , an estimated 2.5 million children are not in school and one million more are at risk of withdrawing (UNICEF, 2025) , and over one-third of children have developed psychosocial disorders (2022) . Without essential infrastructure to support impoverished returnees, adequate shelter, education, and economic empowerment opportunities will continue to be difficult to access.
Though the change in the country’s government provides some optimism, humanitarian assistance for Syrians has been chronically underfunded, hampering response capacity. Since 2011, the first year of the war, no more than 71 percent of total support requested in a year has been funded (OCHA, 2025) . As of June 2025, only 15.9 percent of the UN’s monetary request for the year in the country was funded (2025) . The shifting priorities of the US government, which obligated about $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance to Syria during FY 2024 (US Embassy Syria, 2024) , adds further strain to relief efforts and underscores the need for additional funders to fill the widening gap.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
IRUSA seeks funding partners and platforms which will allow it to mobilize donors and run fundraising campaigns. This includes partners who will allow IRUSA to reach new individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Specific fundraising campaigns could be held around holidays, similar to IRUSA’s Ramadan fundraising campaign. In terms of engaging corporations, IRUSA seeks connections with additional companies whose corporate social responsibilities align with the commitment. IRUSA can provide talking points and other collateral to help cultivate these relationships.
IRUSA will also leverage its relationship with Islamic Development Bank to coordinate with other institutional donors with an interest in Syria and as possible, would like to connect with additional donors through CGI’s platform.,IRUSA has valuable implementation experience, thought leadership, and in-country networks to offer partners. From 2021-2023, IRUSA provided professional development services and financial assistance to 2,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, and from 2021-2022, IRUSA helped 22,000 children in Idlib access quality education and food. Since 2011, IRUSA has served emergency packages to over three million Syrians, provided winter survival items to one million people, and supported thousands of orphans through sponsorship. It has also assisted Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Türkiye.
Thus, IRUSA has extensive networks which demonstrate its coordination and convening power and will help partners overcome obstacles and get aid where it needs to go quickly and safely.
Lessons learned, furthermore, allow IRUSA to lead in risk mitigation and promote sustainability. For example, past experience led IRUSA to develop a contingency plan if sanctions are renewed that transfers more responsibilities to local partners, allowing for project continuation.