Mary's Meals image/svg+xml
Create Account / Login

Make yourself at home!

You’re currently browsing our International site, but our family reaches across the world.

To make sure you’re supporting your local Mary’s Meals, please select your country from the list below.

If you can’t see your country then don’t worry! You can use our International site.

 

Donate
Fundraise
A girl smiles as she eats in Syria

Syria

Mary’s Meals serves meals to more than 4,000 children every school day in Syria

Published on

Where we work

Life in Syria

Syria is currently ranked 150 out of 191 countries and territories in the Human Development Index (HDI) and is located in the Middle East, on the far western edge of south Asia, and is bordered by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel.

Syria has been plagued by civil war since March 2011. Today, it is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. Millions of civilians have been displaced, far from their families and livelihoods. Hundreds of thousands of people have died.

The ongoing war, insufficient agricultural production and rising food prices are exacerbating the existing food insecurity problem. More than 10.8 million people (just over half the population) have insufficient food consumption.

With so many lives disrupted by years of conflict, it is extremely difficult for children to attend school. More than 2 million children are currently out of school.

A boy gives a thumbs up to camera as he eats in Syria

Mary's Meals in Syria

Mary’s Meals has been serving school meals in Syria since 2017. Our school feeding programme in Syria provides meals for children whose young lives have been scarred by unimaginable trauma. We work with a local partner organisation, Dorcas.

Every school day, we reach more than 4,000 children in several schools in Aleppo – a city which was under siege between 2012 and 2016 – and one community centre in Hanano District. A dedicated team of volunteers prepare all the lunches in one school that has reliable access to water and electricity. The food is then delivered to the other locations across the city.

Related Articles

Volunteers working around the clock to provide meals to those impacted by the earthquake that struck on February 6 2023.

A Ray of Hope in Aleppo

In the midst of all of this devastation, Dorcas and Mary’s Meals have been able to bring some light into the lives of the displaced with an emergency community feeding initiative.
 Read more about A Ray of Hope in Aleppo
A building that has been impacted by the earthquake in Syria.

“A new disaster is unfolding... people have lost everything”

Two deadly earthquakes have caused catastrophic destruction in Syria and Turkey. Our partner tells us how the team is navigating the treacherous environment to deliver meals and why it believes this is only the beginning of a humanitarian emergency.
 Read more about “A new disaster is unfolding... people have lost everything”
When did we start working in Syria?

We have been serving school meals in Syria since 2017.

How many children do we reach in Syria?

Our programme provides school meals to more than 4,000 children in places of education across Aleppo and in Syrian Hanano District.

What meal do we provide?

A typical meal served to children is a sandwich wrap and fresh fruit.

Where are we based/where do we operate?

Our meals are delivered to children living in the city of Aleppo and the Hanano District.

What is the capital of Syria?

The capital city of Syria is Damascus.

What currency is used in Syria?

The Syrian Pound (SYP).

What is the population of Syria?

The population of Syria is 22,661,000.