Skip to main content
Home International Committee of the Red Cross
Find help Donate
Back
  • Happening now
    Happening now

    Discover what’s new

    Stay updated with the latest news and ongoing initiatives of the ICRC.

    Latest operations

    Featured

    • A community kitchen in Myanmar
      Myanmar: One month on, earthquake survivors face continuing challenges
    • Red Cross Field Hospital aerial shot
      The Red Cross Field Hospital one year on: A lifeline and a stark reminder in Ga…
    • Red Cross staff at a water distribution
      Every attack on a humanitarian is an attack on the community they served. A sta…
  • Who we are
    Who we are

    We are the International Committee of the Red Cross

    Neutral, impartial, and independent. Discover our values and mission.

    Discover who we are
    • About us
      Our rich history, our mandate and mission, and our Fundamental Principles are behind the work we do to protect and save lives.
    • How we are run
      Our President and leadership, our finances and our accountability ensure the integrity of our humanitarian operations.
    • International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement
      The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world.
  • What we do
    What we do

    Our work to protect people affected by conflict

    The ICRC responds quickly and efficiently to help people affected by armed conflict.

    All our activities

    In focus

    • ICRC working with the Myanmar Red Cross Society to support people displaced by violence in Pin Laung and Hsi Hseng, to provide emergency aid. Photographer: Thang Khan Sian Khai
      Protection: Upholding the rights of people in conflict
    • Reconnecting families: Preventing separation, searching for the missing, reunit…
    • Helping detainees: Protecting and assisting people deprived of their liberty
  • Where we work
    Where we work

    Explore our global reach

    We have offices in over 90 countries around the world, providing assistance and protection to people affected by conflict.

    ICRC around the world

    Key operations

    • Afghanistan
    • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Ethiopia
    • Israel and the occupied territories
    • Myanmar
    • Sudan
    • Syria
    • Ukraine
    • Yemen
  • Law & Policy
    Law & Policy

    Law & Policy

    Gain insights into the ICRC's role in developing and promoting international humanitarian law and policy.

    Discover more
    • Geneva Conventions and the law
      Even wars have rules. The Geneva Conventions are at the core of international humanitarian law.
    • Topics, debates and disarmament
      Weapons and disarmament, protected persons and other contemporary challenges for international humanitarian law.
    • Teaching IHL, research, Advisory Service and other resources
      We support the teaching, learning and implementation of humanitarian law principles.
  • Support us
    Support us

    Partner with us

    We invite organizations, institutions and philanthropists to join us in our mission to alleviate the suffering of those affected by armed conflict.

    How to partner with us

    Support us

    Find out how you as an individual can contribute to our humanitarian efforts to help people suffering because of armed conflict.

    How to support us
    • Ukraine: the crisis continues
    • Urgent: Israel-Gaza emergency appeal
    • Myanmar_Red Cross earthquake
      Urgent help needed: Myanmar earthquakes
  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ
ICRC Websites
Photo gallery
10-03-2015

Women of Syria

  • Syria
  • Protected persons: Women

Share

  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
CC BY-NC-ND/CRC

A woman waits for a Red Cross food parcel in Rural Aleppo after fleeing her home in Raqqa.

CC BY-NC-ND/CRC/ M. Alzoubi

Simply surviving from day to day in the midst of conflict is desperately hard for people who lived simple, peaceful lives before.

@IFRC/ I. Malla

Offering comfort and psychological support to people who are displaced or fleeing danger is a core part of the work of SARC volunteers.

CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC/ R.Daoud

Latakia on Syria’s western coast has become home to one of the biggest displaced communities. Many of the displaced are living with host families. Feeling safe, this little girl finds time to play and smile

CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC/A. Alkhatib

This couple fled to Tartous to escape fighting and now live in a tent. "I sold all my belongings to move my sick husband to Tartous, and nothing is left to buy him medicines", the wife explains.

CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC/H. Vanessian

Distributions of aid are often a lifeline for families where there is no bread winner.

CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC/H. Vanessian

In the chaos of conflict it is often the elderly who get forgotten. Regular visits from volunteers help the women in this old people's home in Aleppo to feel less alone.

CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC/H. Vanessian

When health services break down everyone is more at risk. Here, a medic examines an injured child at a SARC health post.

The women portrayed in the following photos come from different parts of Syria. All of them, from the eldest grandmother to the youngest child, have been touched in some way by the humanitarian crisis which is now entering its fifth year. Their stories are of loss, fear, relief at reaching safety after fleeing from danger, and of the innocence glimpsed in their children's smiles. Theirs are the stories of Syrian women everywhere. And all are united, too, in their strength and dignity in the face of great adversity.

Related articles

Photo gallery
22-06-2022

Myanmar: Food to fuel families in Rakhine

Illustration
Photo gallery
24-02-2022

Supporting victims/survivors of sexual violence: A collective, achievable effort

Photo gallery
01-04-2021

Yemen: Women Wrestling with War

More photo galleries

Topic-dedicated ICRC websites

Explore our blogs, apps, reviews and other resources dedicated to humanitarian impact, insight, law and policy.

ICRC Websites

Direct access

  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ

Newsletter

Fields marked with * are required
To learn how we process your data, visit our Privacy Notice.
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Privacy policy
  • Tax deduction
  • Privacy Settings
  • Community guidelines

Terms and conditions - ICRC ©2025 - All right reserved