The conflict in Syria has placed an enormous toll on economic and human development within Syria.

The Syrian economy faces widespread de-industrialization and large-scale capital divestment. The unemployment rate skyrocketed to 48.8 percent in 2013, affecting the welfare of over 10 million people. The Syria’s Human Development Index is estimated to have rolled back 35 years because of deteriorating health, education and incomes.

The paper identifies a set of common and country-specific issues that can inform and stimulate further debate and research around the design of effective interventions to build long-term resilience to the crisis and preserve human development gains. It also suggests a series of indicators that can serve as a basis for monitoring the various dimensions of vulnerabilities and human development impacts of the crisis.