Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jul 2;19(1):39.
doi: 10.1186/s13031-025-00673-1.

Post-crisis health reality and wellbeing of children within Syria: a scoping review of research from 2012 to 2024

Seba Harphoush  1   2 , Fatema Ahmed  3   4 , Ihab Harphoush  5 , Rasha Kadoun  6   7 , Soha Harphoush  5 , Rami Al Asaad  8 , Zhong Li  9
Affiliations
Review

Post-crisis health reality and wellbeing of children within Syria: a scoping review of research from 2012 to 2024

Seba Harphoush et al. Confl Health. .

Abstract

Background: Syrian children, among the most vulnerable groups, have faced profound physical and psychological consequences due to the protracted conflict. This review assesses the health and well-being of children living within Syria, with particular attention to internally displaced populations (IDPs).

Objectives: To synthesize research on child health in Syria from 2012 to 2024, identify key health challenges, assess study characteristics and geographical distribution, and highlight gaps to inform future policies and interventions.

Design: We conducted a scoping review in December 2024 using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) methodology. We searched five academic databases (Medline Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Global Health) and selected studies published between January 2012 and December 2024. The search strategy followed the JBI Population–Concept–Context framework. Eligible studies included primary and secondary research, published in English or Arabic, that examined the health of children under 19 years old living within Syria in the context of the ongoing conflict. Grey literature was also retrieved from major organizational repositories (e.g., WHO, UNICEF, MSF, SAMS).

Results: A total of 1,189 records were retrieved, with 647 remaining after removing duplicates. After screening, 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were observational, including cross-sectional (63.3%) and retrospective cohort (26.7%) designs. Surveys and medical records were the main data sources; oral examinations were common in dental studies, while anthropometry, blood tests, and interviews were less frequent. Data sources varied significantly by region (p < 0.001), with government-controlled areas relying on state institutions and non-government-controlled areas drawing on humanitarian data. Due to substantial heterogeneity, meta-analysis was not feasible. Notably, 80% of studies reported no external funding.

Conclusion: This review highlights major research gaps in child health within Syria, particularly among IDPs and in underserved regions. Most studies were observational, unfunded, and regionally concentrated, limiting broader applicability. Despite these constraints, this is the first comprehensive synthesis of health research focused on children within Syria, providing a foundation for future research, policy action, and targeted humanitarian interventions in conflict-affected settings.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13031-025-00673-1.

Keywords: Child health; Conflict-Affected populations; Health services; Internally displaced persons (IDPs); Pediatric health; Public health; Syria.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Annual Distribution of Child Health Research Publications in Syria (2012–2024)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of Child Health Research Across Syrian Governorates
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Distribution of Medical Research Themes in Child Health Studies by Percentage of Publications
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sahloul MZ, Monla-Hassan J, Sankari A, Kherallah M, Atassi B, Badr S, Abbara A, Sparrow A. War is the enemy of health. Pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in War-Torn Syria. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13(2):147–55. - PubMed
    1. Alhaffar MHDBA, Janos S. Public health consequences after ten years of the Syrian crisis: a literature review. Globalization Health 2021;17(1):111. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Syrian refugee crisis. facts, FAQs, and how to help [https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-...]
    1. Cantor D, Swartz J, Roberts B, Abbara A, Ager A, Bhutta ZA, Blanchet K, Madoro Bunte D, Chukwuorji JC, Daoud N, et al. Understanding the health needs of internally displaced persons: A scoping review. J Migr Health. 2021;4:100071. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Abbara A, Rayes D, Ekzayez A, Jabbour S, Marzouk M, Alnahhas H, Basha S, Katurji Z, Sullivan R, Fouad FM. The health of internally displaced people in Syria: are current systems fit for purpose? J Migr Health. 2022;6:100126. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources