ACAPS: Syria Area Based Analysis (SABA)

This project is now closed.

The ousting of Assad in late 2024 has triggered a rapid and complex transition in Syria’s humanitarian landscape. Coordination structures are shifting, access dynamics remain volatile, and decision‑making is often constrained by siloed, fragmented or outdated information. Amid sector‑wide funding cuts, humanitarian actors face the urgent challenge of delivering principled and needs‑based assistance with fewer resources and less clarity about complex and evolving dynamics on the ground.

Currently, the information and analysis landscape is fractured, reflecting the evolving contextual developments, relying on a response coordination under restructuring, and an increasingly protectionist and competitive environment for humanitarian actors on the ground. As such, humanitarian agencies lack a reliable and regularly updated foundation of area‑based evidence that integrates existing data sources, aligns with key indicators from the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and other sectoral frameworks, and integrates and reflects local perspectives and capacities. Without this, programming risks being reactive, fragmented, and misaligned with ever-changing realities on the ground.

The project

The Syria Area‑Based Analysis (SABA) initiative, led by ACAPS, aimed to strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency, and timeliness of the Syrian humanitarian response by providing a shared and decision‑ready evidence base.

Through the development of an Area-Based Analysis dashboard, a consolidated core dataset, and interpretive analysis reports, the project sought to enable humanitarian actors to make more informed and data‑driven decisions at both strategic and operational levels.

Expected impact

The SABA project aimed to equip humanitarian agencies with timely and evidence‑based analysis to guide more effective interventions across Syria. By consolidating fragmented data and offering granular and area‑level insights, it provided space for actors to prioritise the most vulnerable populations amid shrinking funding and competing crises. A shared evidence base reduced duplication and aligned priorities across agencies, while localised detail supported tailored and context‑specific responses. Regular updates supported better planning and timely adaptation as needs change, strengthening accountability and building donor confidence.

Resources

• Syria Area‑Based Analysis Dashboard: updated monthly to track developing risks and priorities.
• Syria Core Dataset: consolidated data resource for comparative analysis across districts.
• Updated Methodology Note: transparent documentation of indicators, weighting, and quality assurance.

Supporting activities

• SABA Stakeholder Workshop (November 2025): convened in Damascus in November 2025, it brought together Syrian CSOs and NGOS, INGOs and donors, to build networks and working relationships, refine analytical frameworks, and ensure alignment with sectoral needs and coordination changes.

Project partners

The project involved sustained consultation with coordination bodies, including OCHA, relevant clusters, INGO fora, CSO platforms, as well as donors, UN agencies, international NGOs and Syrian civil society organisations. ACAPS built on existing relationships to ensure that Syrian perspectives are systematically included in analysis and planning.

Outputs were made publicly accessible through a dedicated SABA page on the ACAPS website, linked via UKHIH and ELRHA platforms, and datasets uploaded to the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX).