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As the annual fundraising conference for Syria approaches, humanitarian workers are expressing deep concerns about potential aid cuts that could further worsen the already dire situation for millions of Syrians in need.

Rudaina Al-Salim, a mother of four living in a tent in rebel-held northwestern Syria, shared her family’s struggles with finding enough water and basic necessities. The lack of aid in the region for the past six months has left many families like hers in a desperate situation.

The ongoing civil war in Syria, now in its 14th year, has displaced half the country’s pre-war population and killed nearly half a million people. With the economy deteriorating and poverty levels rising, millions of Syrians are struggling to access food and healthcare.

UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations are facing shrinking budgets, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and conflicts in other parts of the world. The upcoming donor conference in Brussels aims to raise funds to support Syrians both within the country and in neighboring countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

However, with only 6 percent of the United Nations’ aid appeal for Syria in 2024 secured so far, humanitarian workers fear that pledges will fall short and further aid cuts will follow. The situation is particularly critical in northwestern Syria, where the UN is only able to feed 600,000 out of the 3.6 million people facing food insecurity.

In Lebanon, where nearly 90 percent of Syrian refugees live in poverty, aid is also dwindling, leading to increasing resentment from the Lebanese population. Calls for crackdowns on undocumented Syrian migrants and demands for refugees to return to so-called “safe zones” in Syria have raised concerns among the refugee community.

For families like Um Omar’s, deportation to Syria would mean facing imprisonment or forced conscription under President Bashar Assad’s government. Despite the challenges they face, many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are met with hostility and accusations of taking away job opportunities from the local population.

As the donor conference approaches, the fate of millions of Syrians hangs in the balance. Humanitarian workers are urging donors to step up and provide the necessary support to prevent further suffering and loss of life in one of the world’s most protracted conflicts.