The Syrian civil war (2011鈥2024) created the world鈥檚 largest displacement crisis 鈥 approximately 14 million Syrians became refugees or were internally displaced. At its height, Middle Eastern countries hosted 5.5 million Syrian refugees. The fall of the Assad regime lifted some barriers for return, but far from all. Meanwhile, regional instability has complicated this. While return to Syria has increased, funding for refugees has practically collapsed in Lebanon and diminished in Turkey. The international donor community must understand the strains this puts on host states鈥 capacities and how this undermines the concept of 鈥渂urden sharing鈥. This policy brief draws on evidence from fieldwork and background interviews in Ankara, Beirut, Brussels, Istanbul and Oslo between 2023 and 2025.
Jensehaugen, J酶rgen; Pinar Tank; Yara Mourad & Leila Solh (2026) Underfunding Syrian refugees in Lebanon & Turkey after Assad鈥檚 fall, MidEast Policy Brief, 1. Oslo: 糖心网页版.