Country Risk Report
Syria
Damascus
Arabic (official), Kurdish and others
Syrian pound (SYP)
Executive Summary
Syria is classified as an EXTREME risk destination in a fragile political transition. A coalition led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the Assad government in December 2024, and a transitional government under interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa now administers a five-year transition. Overall violence fell by around 44 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, but the transition remains unstable, with roughly 7,692 conflict-related deaths recorded in 2025 and continued sectarian violence, insurgency and foreign military intervention. The Islamic State is exploiting the fragmented security landscape to rebuild. Cover for Syria is available on request only, subject to sanctions screening, given the residual sanctions environment and volatile conditions. Standard travel insurance is invalid.
- Coordinated attacks on Alawite areas of the coast in March 2025 killed at least 1,400 people; clashes in the Druze-majority south around Suweida in July 2025 killed over a thousand.
- A suicide bombing struck a church in Damascus in June 2025. Israeli strikes have targeted the south.
- Clashes with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around Aleppo in January 2026 displaced around 150,000 people before a US-mediated ceasefire and a renewed integration agreement.
- Extensive landmine and unexploded-ordnance contamination and a devastated healthcare system persist after 13 years of war.
- Transitional authorities have been delisted from UN and US terror sanctions lists and many Assad-era sanctions have been eased, but sanctions screening still applies.
Risk Matrix
| Category | Risk Rating | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Armed Conflict | Extreme | Fragile transition with sectarian violence, SDF integration clashes, insurgency and Israeli strikes. |
| Terrorism | Extreme | ISIS is rebuilding and conducting attacks. A church bombing struck Damascus in June 2025. |
| Kidnapping | Extreme | ISIS, criminal and factional abduction, plus continued enforced disappearances. |
| Crime | High | Lawlessness and opportunistic crime are widespread amid economic collapse. |
| Civil Unrest | High | Sectarian and political protests occur, some escalating into deadly violence. |
| Health & Medical | Extreme | Healthcare is devastated after 13 years of war. Serious cases require evacuation. |
| Internal Travel | Extreme | Contested control, checkpoints, mines and damaged infrastructure constrain movement. |
| Digital / Cyber | High | Surveillance, monitoring and device scrutiny at checkpoints. |
Essential Precautions
Security Situation
Syria is in a fragile transition with no single security force in full control. Sectarian violence, insurgency, contested territory and foreign strikes create a volatile and uneven picture that varies sharply by region and community.
Damascus and Central Syria
The Coast (Latakia and Tartus)
The South (Suweida and Daraa)
The Northeast (Aleppo, Hasakah and the SDF areas)
Detailed Risk Assessment
Armed Conflict
Although the civil war formally ended with Assad's fall, armed conflict continues in the form of sectarian violence, clashes over SDF integration, insurgency and Israeli strikes. Control is contested and flare-ups are frequent.
Central areas are more stable but exposed to insurgent and sectarian incidents.
The coast has seen large-scale sectarian killings and remains a flashpoint.
The south sees clashes and recurrent Israeli military action.
The northeast has seen the most serious recent fighting, around Aleppo, tied to SDF integration.
Terrorism
The Islamic State is exploiting the fragmented landscape to rebuild and conduct attacks, and a suicide bombing struck a church in Damascus in June 2025. Symbolic sites, minorities and gatherings are potential targets.
Damascus has been targeted, including the June 2025 church bombing.
The coast faces sectarian-driven attacks alongside the ISIS threat.
The south is exposed to both sectarian violence and insurgent activity.
The northeast is a focus of ISIS resurgence, near former detention sites and camps.
Kidnapping and Detention
Kidnapping and enforced disappearance remain serious risks. ISIS, criminal groups and armed factions abduct foreigners for ransom or leverage, and the UN has documented continued abductions and disappearances during the transition.
Central areas carry a risk of criminal and factional abduction despite tighter government control.
The coast carries sectarian-driven abduction risk.
The south sees abductions linked to sectarian and factional violence.
The northeast carries a high risk from ISIS and factional actors, particularly near camps and former detention sites.
Crime and Lawlessness
Economic collapse has driven widespread opportunistic and organised crime. Checkpoints, informal armed actors and smuggling networks add to insecurity, and policing is uneven across contested areas.
Damascus has comparatively more policing but significant economic-driven crime.
The coast sees crime intersecting with sectarian tension.
The south has weak policing and armed factional activity.
The northeast has patchy control and smuggling-related crime.
Internal Travel
Movement is constrained by contested control, checkpoints operated by different forces, damaged infrastructure, and mine contamination. Front lines and flashpoints can shift, and some areas remain outside central control.
Movement around Damascus is comparatively easier but still subject to checkpoints.
Coastal travel is affected by sectarian tension and periodic unrest.
Southern travel is hazardous due to clashes and Israeli strikes.
Northeastern travel crosses shifting lines of control between government and SDF forces.
Health and Disease
Thirteen years of war have devastated the healthcare system, with reconstruction needs estimated near 216 billion US dollars. Facilities are damaged, understaffed and short of supplies, and serious cases require international evacuation.
Damascus has the most functional facilities, though they remain overstretched.
Coastal facilities are strained and disrupted by unrest.
Southern healthcare is limited and affected by conflict.
Northeastern services are basic and disrupted by displacement and fighting.
Cultural and Religious Sensitivities
Syria is religiously and ethnically diverse, and sensitivities differ sharply by community and area. Sectarian identity is highly charged after recent violence, and political and religious topics are dangerous. Dress conservatively and defer to local guidance.
Damascus is diverse but tense around sectarian and political topics.
The Alawite coast is highly sensitive after the 2025 massacres.
The Druze south is protective of its identity and autonomy.
The Kurdish northeast has distinct cultural and political sensitivities.
LGBT Travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalised and social hostility is severe, heightened by the fragmented security environment and the presence of extremist actors. LGBT travellers face extreme risk and must exercise absolute discretion, including over digital content.
Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance
Thirteen years of war have left extensive landmine, unexploded-ordnance and explosive-remnant contamination across former front lines, agricultural land and destroyed areas. Clearance is limited and casualties continue.
Contamination surrounds former front lines around Damascus and its suburbs.
Coastal and mountain areas retain contamination from earlier fighting.
The south has contamination near former battle zones and the Golan.
The northeast and former ISIS areas are heavily contaminated.
Diplomatic and Government Situation
An interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa administers a five-year transition, with power concentrated in the executive. International engagement has increased and many sanctions have eased, but state capacity is limited, control is contested, and consular support for foreign nationals is limited.
Damascus is the seat of the transitional government and the focus of diplomacy.
The coast is under government control but socially tense.
The south is only partly under central control.
The northeast is governed through an evolving and contested integration of SDF structures.
Digital and Cyber Threats
Surveillance and monitoring persist, and device inspection can occur at checkpoints operated by various forces. Connectivity is uneven, and sensitive content or affiliations can create serious risk in a fragmented security environment.
Damascus has functioning but monitored connectivity.
Coastal connectivity is monitored amid sectarian tension.
Southern connectivity is disrupted by conflict.
Northeastern connectivity varies with contested control.
Vaccinations & Health Hazards
Strongly Recommended
- Poliomyelitis
Recommended given disruption to immunisation and regional circulation.
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
Outbreak risk is high after years of disrupted vaccination.
- Hepatitis A and Typhoid
Recommended due to contaminated food and water.
- Hepatitis B
Recommended given limited safe medical access.
- Tetanus
Ensure boosters are current given trauma risk.
Other Health Hazards
- Food and water hygiene: Practise strict hygiene. Waterborne illness is common.
- Trauma capacity: Blast and gunshot trauma capacity is limited. Carry a trauma kit and pre-arrange evacuation.
- Chronic disruption: Medicine and equipment shortages are widespread after the war.
- Displacement conditions: Crowded displacement settings raise communicable-disease risk.
- Routine vaccines: Ensure all primary courses and boosters are up to date on the UK schedule. Consult a health professional four to six weeks before departure.
Choosing the Right Insurance
Standard travel insurance is invalid for Syria. Cover is available on request only, subject to sanctions screening, and must be specialist war-risk insurance covering:
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Security extraction
- Repatriation
- Kidnap-for-ransom (K&R) response
- Policies may exclude specific areas and require pre-travel approval.
Annex A - Key Risk Dynamics
Checkpoints and Detention Triggers
Checkpoints are operated by different forces, including transitional-government, SDF and local factions, each with different rules. Carry original documents and a clear, verifiable reason for travel. Do not photograph checkpoints, forces or damaged sites. Expect device inspection - sensitive content or affiliations can trigger detention.Kidnapping and Detention Dynamics
ISIS, criminal groups and armed factions all abduct foreigners for ransom or leverage. Enforced disappearances have continued during the transition. Most abductions occur in transit, especially on isolated or cross-line routes. The northeast carries particular risk near former ISIS areas and camps.High-Risk Travellers
Typically excluded from standard corporate insurance without a specific war-risk rider: leisure travellers (no support structure and highly exposed in a fragmented environment); unaccompanied individuals (heightened risk at checkpoints and cross-line movement); first-time hostile-environment travellers (more likely to misread rapidly changing local risk); LGBT travellers (severe legal and physical risk).Annex B - Key Preparation & Checklists
Essential Preparation and Medical
Travel only for critical purposes with specialist security support and war-risk insurance covering evacuation and K&R. Confirm sanctions status and insurance eligibility before travel. Establish extraction and evacuation plans before arrival and carry a trauma kit. Carry original documents at all times.Digital Security and Checkpoints
Travel with clean devices and enable remote wipe. Clear sensitive imagery, mapping data and affiliations. Turn off geolocation and cloud sync. Follow vetted local advice on connectivity and monitoring.Movement and Operational Security
Track the map - risk varies sharply by area and community; plan routes accordingly. Movement between areas of different control is high risk. Stay strictly on paved surfaces near former front lines to avoid landmines. Use only vetted transport and avoid isolated routes.Conduct and Legal Compliance
Avoid political and sectarian topics, which are highly charged after recent violence. Dress conservatively and defer to local norms. Never photograph forces, checkpoints or damaged areas.This report is provided for information only and does not constitute travel or security advice. Ratings are indicative and subject to change without notice. Confirm current conditions with Hotspot Cover before any deployment.
hotspotcover.com © Hotspot Cover - Country Risk Report