In Syria, more than a decade of war has brought the country's health system to the brink and left millions of people facing a spiralling economic collapse. Around 90% are living below the poverty line, and many are struggling to meet their most basic needs. A cholera outbreak, which began in August 2022, is exposing the fragility of Syria’s water supply and health care systems and the impact this has on the lives of vulnerable families.

The IRC's "At a Glance" report provides a summary of this year's Emergency Watchlist, highlighting key findings and recommendations from the top 20 countries most at risk of new or worsening humanitarian crises in the year ahead.

Samira*’s children are the center of her world. In her hometown in northeast Syria, she spends her days taking care of her children, preparing food, and cleaning the house. Two of her children go to kindergarten in the morning, while the youngest one stays home. After her husband returns home from his job as a school teacher, they sometimes go outdoors to spend time together as a family.

When Salem, 39, and his family of six became sick with cholera, they didn’t know what had hit them. As a fisherman by trade, he thought the fish he had brought home might have caused them to fall ill.

The IRC collaborated with illustrator Paul Blow to depict the journeys of people making it along the Central Mediterranean Route.