“The people in Syria are destroyed from war”: A call for peace after violence in the coastal region

HOMS, The Syrian Arab Republic – “The people in Syria are destroyed from war. There has been no year that has been okay for us. My generation has suffered a lot,” said Maryam,* a 21-year old woman from Homs in western Syria. 

Since 6 March 2025, the coastal governorates of Hama, Homs, Latakia and Tartous have experienced a surge in violent attacks, leaving a wave of death, destruction and displacement. Six major hospitals and several ambulances have been damaged, and it’s estimated that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed, including many women and children. 

“One of the young men killed was my friend. It is very difficult to see women and men in their 20s killed for no reason. Some of them were enrolled in medical colleges,” Maryam told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. “They had their whole lives ahead of them and were studying to be able to help others, and now they are gone.”

There have been harrowing reports of entire families being killed, as well as health workers and patients coming under attack at hospitals.

“I feel very scared. My family are having threats made against them daily. In Homs, the security forces form a human barrier every night so that we minorities are not killed. We are so exhausted, and we just want to live in peace,” continued Maryam.

Alongside other UN agencies, UNFPA is calling for the deescalation of hostilities to prevent further violence, protect civilians and allow humanitarian access to provide life-saving assistance. The violence has caused significant trauma and distress among affected communities, and medical and mental health support is urgently needed.

“The history of Syria is unbearable. We are always experiencing new crises,” said Maryam. “There is a saying in Arabic – ‘Tamsahna’, which means that we are like crocodiles [with a thick skin]. After all these years of war we are getting used to all the bad things that are happening – we are numb, we feel nothing anymore.”

Supporting future generations

Young people have a key role to play in rebuilding Syria and in shaping a stable, equitable and brighter future for the country. UNFPA is working alongside partners in Homs, including GOPA, which runs a youth centre with programmes to support mental and social well-being, educational and livelihood training, and youth empowerment initiatives.  

“For the past two years I have been coming to the youth centre. It has been a very supportive place; I feel like it's my second home. The trainers and teachers make us feel that maybe things will get better,” said Maryam.

“My friends and I at the youth centre have studied so much and worked on ourselves so that we can help the younger generation. There is a doctor, there is an engineer, there is a teacher… We all have the same feeling: That our heart is on the next generation. We don't want them to feel what we felt and to deal with what we have.” 

UNFPA and GOPA are also working to ensure that young people in Syria have greater economic opportunities, civic engagement and are part of the peacebuilding process. 

“We are dreaming of a secure future. I hope that I see colours everywhere, trees everywhere. I hope to live to see a Syria without war. And I hope that you will never leave us until our Syria becomes good and becomes safe,” said Maryam.

After 14 years of conflict, women, girls and young people in Syria deserve peace, recovery, and a chance to rebuild their lives. 

“Mine is just one of a thousand stories in Syria. It’s important that our voices reach you and that you hear us,” added Maryam. “We are a generation that has grown up knowing only war. We have many talents and dreams and we are tired that our future is still unknown.”

*Name changed for privacy and protection.