Canada’s response to the situation in Syria

The intensity of the Syrian conflict was renewed on November 27, 2024, when opposition forces led by a terrorist organization clashed with Syrian government forces in several governorates in the northwest region of the country. The security situation is volatile.

March 2024 marked 13 years of the Syrian crisis, and humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels. Over 16 million people, approximately 70% of the country’s population, urgently require humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that well over 250,000 people have died in the conflict, with hundreds of thousands more wounded. Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has led to more than 7.2 million internally displaced Syrians and 6.2 million Syrian refugees around the world, including in neighbouring countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye.

On this page

• Emergency contact information for Canadians and permanent residents
• How Canada is helping
• Canada’s position
• News
• Related links

Emergency contact information for Canadians and permanent residents

Canada has not had a diplomatic presence in Syria since it closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012. The ability of the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon, in Beirut, to provide consular and other support throughout Syria remains extremely limited.

The Government of Canada has advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria since 2011. Those who are in Syria despite this advice are advised to exercise extreme caution at all times and shelter in place until they can identify safe means to leave the country.

The situation at border crossings remains unpredictable. Those wishing to leave should verify the status of the border crossing before they travel.

Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact Global Affairs Canada's 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre:

• Telephone: +1‑613‑996‑8885 (collect calls are accepted where available)
• Text: +1‑613‑686‑3658
• WhatsApp: +1‑613‑909‑8881
• Signal: +1‑613‑909‑8087
• Email: sos@international.gc.ca

We urge all Canadians in Syria to check Travel advice for Syria regularly for updates and to sign up with the Government of Canada’s Registration of Canadians Abroad service to receive important information about the situation.

How Canada is helping

Since 2016, Canada has committed more than $4.7 billion in funding for Syria and the region, including significant humanitarian, development and stabilization assistance.

Canada’s humanitarian assistance will be delivered in Syria and the region through experienced humanitarian partners such as the United Nations, NGOs and the Red Cross, and will help provide food; protection services, including the prevention, mitigation and response to gender-based violence; water, sanitation and hygiene services; and health services, including the provision of and right to access sexual and reproductive health care. Development assistance funding is allocated through existing projects in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon that benefit Syrian refugees living in these countries and strengthen these countries’ ability to welcome more Syrians who have been displaced.

Canada is providing stabilization and security-related assistance to address the impact of the Syrian crisis, both in Syria and in the region. These funds promote peacebuilding and social cohesion initiatives that support the reintegration of displaced Syrians, contribute to mine action efforts, help mitigate the threat of chemical weapons and other weapons and materials of mass destruction; assist Jordanian security forces in managing the non-humanitarian aspects of the influx of Syrian refugees, and; contribute to Jordan’s counter-terrorism capacity.

Refugee resettlement

Canada has resettled more than 100,000 Syrian refugees since fall 2015, consisting of government-supported, privately sponsored and blended visa office-referred refugees. Visit the Open Government Portal for detailed data. We acknowledge the ongoing events in Syria and reaffirm our commitment to the Syrian people. Find out more about Canada’s refugee system.

Canada’s position

Canada welcomes the end of Syria’s Assad regime, which has inflicted decades of suffering on its own people. This event marks a significant turning point for the Syrian people, who have endured unimaginable hardship under the rule of Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad.

Canada reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian people. We urge all parties to work toward an inclusive political process under the United Nations framework to ensure lasting peace and stability. In this period of transition, we urge all parties to exercise restraint, abstain from further violence and commit to the protection of human rights and the preservation of human dignity, fostering an environment conducive to dialogue and conflict resolution.

Canada will collaborate with its partners throughout this transitional period to support the Syrian people. Canada also remains committed to holding the Assad regime accountable before the International Court of Justice for the torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment of its own people.

News

Related links

• Embassy of Canada to Lebanon
• Travel advice and advisories - Syria
• Registration of Canadians Abroad
• Request emergency consular assistance
• Canada and Syria