2026 UNRWA Syria Mid Year Protection cases trends update

Country: Syrian Arab Republic Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Please refer to the attached file. Executive Summary – Mid-Year 2026 Protection Case Trends, UNRWA Syria During the first half of 2026, UNRWA recorded 587 protection cases affecting Palestine refugees across Syria. Reported cases increased from 266 in Q1 to 321 in Q2 , reflecting strengthened case identification and referral pathways, expanded implementation of the Protection Case Referral SOP, and continued engagement of frontline personnel across programmes. As with previous reporting periods, reported case numbers should be interpreted in the context of reporting capacity, programme access and referral mechanisms, and not as a direct measure of the prevalence of protection risks. Key Protection Trends Gender-Based Violence (GBV) accounted for the largest share of reported cases ( 381 cases; 65% ), with psychological and emotional abuse remaining the most frequently reported GBV concern ( 149 cases ). General Protection (GP) represented 164 cases (28%) , with psychological/emotional abuse and neglect continuing to dominate reporting. Increases were also observed in barriers to services, civil documentation concerns and physical violence, reflecting evolving protection risks affecting vulnerable households and returnees. Child Protection (CP) accounted for 42 cases (7%) of reported cases. Child abuse and neglect remained the principal concern, while reduced reporting during Q2 may partly reflect fewer identification opportunities during school closures and holiday periods rather than reduced protection risks. Geographical Concentration of Needs Protection concerns remained concentrated in a limited number of locations: Rural Damascus accounted for 289 cases (49.2%) , representing nearly half of all reported protection cases. The North Area recorded 92 cases (15.7%) , followed by the Central Area with 87 cases (14.8%) and the South Area with 74 cases (12.6%) . Increasing return movements are generating additional protection concerns related to housing, civil documentation, access to services and psychosocial wellbeing, particularly in areas of return. Emerging and High-Risk Protection Patterns Psychological and emotional abuse remained the most prominent protection concern across both GBV and GP categories, highlighting persistent psychosocial distress among Palestine refugees. Civil documentation and barriers to services increased during the reporting period, raising concerns regarding access to rights, assistance and reintegration support. Complex cases requiring coordinated responses across multiple programmes continue to highlight the importance of integrated protection interventions and strengthened referral mechanisms. During H1 2026, 119 cases required multi-service referrals within UNRWA. Programme Contributions and Service Response The Health Programme remained the primary entry point for case identification ( 81% of reported cases ), reflecting the critical role of health and MHPSS personnel in detecting and responding to protection concerns. UNRWA continued to provide a range of protection-related services, with health and hospitalization services (40%) and PSS/MHPSS support (34%) accounting for the largest share of responses. Why Support Remains Critical Protection risks affecting Palestine refugees in Syria remain acute and increasingly complex. Sustained support is needed to: Strengthen PSS/MHPSS and GBV prevention and response services , given the continued predominance of psychological and emotional harm. Support integrated responses for complex and high-risk cases , including survivors of GBV, children at risk and vulnerable returnee households. Expand legal assistance and civil documentation support to address growing administrative and access-related barriers. Strengthen community-based protection mechanisms and referral systems to improve early identification and response. Maintain emergency protection assistance and multi-programme service delivery for individuals and families facing heightened protection vulnerabilities. Overall, H1 2026 demonstrates both the continued protection needs facing Palestine refugees in Syria and the importance of sustained investment in integrated protection systems, referral pathways and frontline services to ensure timely identification, referral and response to those most at risk.
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