SYRIAN REFUGEES INTER-AGENCY REGIONAL UPDATE

Transcription

1 SYRIAN REFUGEES INTER-AGENCY REGIONAL UPDATE July 2015 HIGHLIGHTS KEY FIGURES 4 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries and North Africa 369,868 Refugees and vulnerable members of impacted communities reached with community mobilization in ,927 Children (5-7 years old) enrolled in formal education in 2015 WFP funding constraints continued to result in reduced levels of support even to the most vulnerable Syrian families. This has heightened vulnerability and food insecurity throughout the region. A regional meeting of high-level representatives from five countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt) hosting Syrian refugees called for developing policies and programmes to tackle labour market issues stemming from the Syrian refugee crisis in a manner that increases economic output and productivity across host nation economies. While acknowledging the dire humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees, representatives called on the international donor community to increase spending on livelihood programmes and place greater focus on areas such as child labour, the informal economy, labour inspection, social protection, the institutional capacities of labour ministries and local governance structures in host communities. Further details on this meeting is available at million Primary Health Care consultations provided in ,879 Households in camps received assistance for shelter or shelter updated in RP 2015 FUNDING USD 4.5 billion (agency total requirements requested for 2015, not including government funding) Funded 31% Gap 69% 3RP OVERVIEW US$ 5.5 billion total funding requirements 5.9m direct beneficiaries (Projected December 2015) 4.3m refugees (Projected December 2015) 1

2 OPERATIONAL CONTEXT The number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria to neighboring countries has passed four million. Tragically, and with no end in sight to Syria s war, now in its fifth year, the crisis is intensifying and the number of refugees are rising. The four million milestone comes barely 10 months since the total of three million was reached. At current rates, UNHCR expects the figure to reach around 4.27 million by the end of This complex, regional crisis has had unprecedented social and economic impacts on host countries, overstretching basic services, diminishing trade and investment, aggravating already high unemployment, increasing pressure on scarce natural resources, and at times affecting their stability and development pathways. Lebanon, which now ranks first in the world in refugees per capita currently hosts close to 1.2 million registered Syrian refugees. This amounts to over 20 per cent of the country s population, but around 3.3 million people, both refugees and vulnerable Lebanese, are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost half of the refugee population lives at or below the Lebanese poverty line of US$4 per day, with a third living at or under US$2-3 per day and unable to meet basic needs. Following a notification from the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) in May 2015, UNHCR suspended all new registrations (effective as of those entering Lebanon after 5 January). A new mechanism by the Government of Lebanon is still being refined. In Turkey, the registration of Syrian refugees continues under the supervision of the Director General for Migration Management (DGMM) and as of 26 July, more than 1.8 million Syrian refugees have been biometrically registered, approximately 45 per cent of all Syrian refugees in the region. In Jordan, of the over 629,000 Syrian refugees, approximately 84 per cent of people live outside refugee camps, in urban and rural areas across the country. Two-thirds of these refugees are now living below the poverty line and one in six are below the line of extreme poverty. There are currently more than 251,000 Syrian refugees registered in Iraq, with 97 per cent in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). Since mid-april, conflict between Iraqi Security Forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (particularly in Anbar Governorate in western Iraq) has created a tense security situation across the country and a precarious economic situation which is affecting refugees in urban and semi-urban locations. In Egypt, there are currently more than 132,000 Syrians living in urban neighborhoods and shared accommodation. The May monthly sectoral dashboards have been published on the Syria Regional Response Data Portal, detailing priorities, achievements and needs by country and regionally. 2

3 The Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan The 3RP is a country-driven, regionally coherent plan to address refugee protection and humanitarian needs whilst building the resilience of vulnerable people and impacted communities and strengthening the capacity of national delivery systems in the five most affected countries neighbouring Syria. The 3RP integrates and is aligned with existing and emerging national plans, including the Jordan Response Plan 2015 to the Syria Crisis, the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, the Iraq SRP, and country responses in Turkey and Egypt. Requiring US$5.5 billion in funding to directly support almost six million people, the 3RP is based on planning projections of up to 4.27 million refugees in countries neighbouring Syria by the end of 2015 and help to over a million vulnerable people in host communities. The appeal comprises US$1 billion of host government requirements and US$4.5 billion in agency requirements for United Nations (UN) agencies and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Beyond those receiving direct support, an additional 20.6 million people in impacted local communities will benefit from upgrades to local infrastructure and services in areas such as health, education, water and sewage, training and capacity building of service providers, and policy and administrative support to local and national authorities. The 3RP Progress Report (released on 25 June) is available here: UPDATE ON ACHIEVEMENTS IRAQ Protection As of 31 July, 251,690 Syrian refugees are registered in Iraq, of which the vast majority (97 per cent) live in nine camps in the KR-I. In July, the number of Syrians entering the KR-I from the Peshkabour border has increased compared to the previous month. The border now remains open six days a week and applications for asylum are mainly accepted on the grounds of family reunification or origin from areas considered by authorities to be currently under conflict. Legal counselling and consultations for both camp-based and urban refugees continues to be provided with majority of the issues raised being on documentation renewal or issuance, family reunification, referral to legal services, and inactivation and reactivation of cases. During the month of July, in Erbil Governorate, PARC/Qandil provided legal consultations to 228 camp-based refugees and facilitated the issuance of 66 legal documents, including birth and marriage certificates. In all the four camps in Erbil, the Residency Departments continued to issue individual documentation to eligible refugees, with a total of 933 residency cards processed in July. The Government issued residency cards have a one year validity which facilitates access to employment and key social services such as health and education. In July, 2,308 individuals returned from the KR-I to Syria through the Peshkabour border. A notable increase in returns to Kobane has been reported which could be due to rising cost of living in KR-I, and reasons of family unification, property matters and agricultural pursuit. 3

4 Children play in the street of Basirma camp in KR-I. Credit: Sebastian Rich/UNHCR Two new reports show increased vulnerability among Syrian refugees on Jordan UNICEF, in collaboration with REACH, led two comprehensive child-focused assessments (CCFA), surveying every household in both Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan from February to March The assessments aimed to fill key information gaps, with a focus on UNICEF-supported programming areas of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, education, youth, and people with disabilities. According to the findings, although there have been notable developments in educational attendance in both the camps, there is an urgent need for services targeting children with disabilities, over half of whom are out of school. Programming should also target youths aged 16-24, majority of whom are currently not in any form of employment, training or unpaid volunteering, presenting a risk of disenfranchisement and de-motivation due to lack of engagement in productive activities. The full reports are available here: For Zaatari camp 15_2.pdf and for Azraq camp df A new report by CARE International Five Years into Exile: The challenges faced by Syrian refugees outside camps in Jordan and how they and their host communities are coping says that the Syrian refugees in Jordan continue to face immense and increasing challenges leading to grave concerns about their vulnerability and protection. The report points to reduced levels of assistance and access to services, lack of sustainable livelihoods, and complicated registration procedures as factors contributing to deepening hardship for approximately 630,000 registered refugees in Jordan. The report can be accessed here: 4

5 Passing on the knowledge On a hot summer day during the holy month of Ramadan, roads of Maghdouche, a small town of Southern Lebanon are almost empty. Mayada is waiting with her two younger sisters in front of their rented house to tell her story. She looks like any other 13-year-old, except that she had already spent more than a year of her life enduring the hardship of wartime in Syria. Her father, who now works as a daily worker could not afford the school fees for his four daughters and two sons. I was feeling very lonely during that period. I missed my friends left back in Syria, I missed my school and I had nothing to do, Mayada said. Weeks passed when one day, the family s neighbor convinced Mayada s mother to contact the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) who were conducting psychosocial support activities for children in the area. Mayada remembers the first day she joined the group of children. All my life changed suddenly. I felt special, Mayada said. Credit: Danish Refugee Council The activities and awareness sessions helped her become more independent and self-confident. She is proud to say that she was the one giving information on hygiene and puberty to her new friends at the end of the psychosocial support activity cycle. DRC was able to refer all 86 children who participated in this three month cycle to the closest Lebanese school which operates a double shift to allow more Syrian youngsters to continue their education. As for Mayada s dream, the young adolescent girl disclosed that she wants to return to Syria and become a professional football player. I would like to represent my country in international competitions, like the ones I used to see on TV. But don t tell anyone, it s a secret, Mayada says. The Danish Refugee Council seeks to ensure the protection, dignity and wellbeing of women and children are at the center of its programming initiatives. Since January 2015, more than 3000 children like Mayada have attended psychosocial support activities in Northern Lebanon, South and the Bekaa. 5

6 Education The latest UNICEF Syria crisis monthly humanitarian report for the month of June is available on ReliefWeb: syria LEBANON In July, the Reaching All Children through Education (RACE) campaign was launched for a successful enrolment process and improvement in the quality of education for the next school year starting in September. Actions will be taken to ensure all vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon can access a quality education. Public schools will re-enroll 106,000 Syrian refugee students who were previously enrolled last year and the second shifts in the afternoon will be expanded to reach more children closer to their homes. Close to 366,000 school-aged refugee children between the ages of 6 and 17 are registered with UNHCR in Lebanon. Of those, many have been out of formal education for over three years. The Government of Lebanon has shown strong commitment to providing refugee children with access to education through committing to the RACE strategy and for an effective implementation of the strategy, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) established a Project Management Unit (PMU) early In the first six months of 2015, the United Nations (UN) and education partners have forged a strong working relationship with the PMU that will contribute to a coherent and effective education sector response to the Syria crisis. Close to 10,000 Syrian children aged between 9 and 17 years who have been out of school for over two years have in July started attending the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) recently introduced by MEHE. The programme provides out-of-school children with the required competencies to enable their enrolment in the Lebanese formal education system. Placement tests to assess children levels and needs were held in April and May 2015 and the programme is currently available in 40 schools across Lebanon with the possibility of expansion until the start of the next school year in September. EGYPT UNICEF, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), implemented a special assistance programme for Syrian children with special needs to facilitate their access to education opportunities. Over 107 students were supported. School fees were covered for 94 students, medication and devices were provided for 68 students and 85 students transportation fees were granted. Food Security and Nutrition As of July 2015, WFP is assisting 1.67 million beneficiaries in the region: 98 per cent through food vouchers. This a reduction of more than 390,000 individuals (22 per cent) of WFP s total regional caseload. In August, more than 50,000 people will be excluded and further reductions are expected from September, due to WFP s ongoing critical funding shortages. Since the start of 2015, WFP has reduced the average voucher value by 30 percent. Despite donor generosity, current resources are not enough to provide sufficient assistance to all refugees in need. Prior to the reductions in assistance which commenced in January 2015 WFP monitoring from late 2014 found that WFP food assistance was contributing to the improvement and stabilization of food consumption of assisted Syrian refugees across the region, with 85 per cent of them showing an acceptable food consumption. Unfortunately, the continued cuts in food assistance have negatively impacted the food security gains made in the region. Food security assessments conducted in WFP s two largest operations in the Syria crisis regional response (Jordan and Lebanon) confirm that refugees are more food insecure than the previous year. 6

7 TURKEY The evolution of WFP s assistance from food packages to food vouchers gives Syrian refugees the power of choice and ability to cook the traditional dishes they used to cook back home. Credit: Joelle Eid/WFP WFP continues to provide assistance to 150,000 Syrian refugees in 11 camps while the Government of Turkey assist refugees in other nine camps. WFP and the Turkish Red Crescent have launched a pilot programme in urban areas, through which some 4,000 beneficiaries received the first e-food cards in Gaziantep and Hatay. The teams visiting households to identify the most vulnerable families for inclusion in this off-camp programme found the conditions of Syrians living outside of camps to be very challenging poor shelter, lack of sufficient food hygiene and other non-food items. Children have been withdrawn from school so that they can contribute to the families income. LEBANON The voucher value was further reduced from US$19 to US$13.5 during July. WFP monitoring exercise conducted in Lebanon shows that the living conditions of the Syrian refugees have deteriorated over the last year. This could be partially attributed to the fact that approximately 900,000 of these Syrian refugees have received reduced assistance since the beginning of the year. Preliminary findings of the 2015 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian refugees (VASyR) conducted in Lebanon indicate both a decrease in the proportion of food secure families as well as those living above the national poverty level. To cope with less access to food, the proportion of families adopting harmful coping strategies, such as buying food on credit, selling household goods, withdrawing children from school and begging, increased by almost 30 per cent since last year. Given that it is illegal for refugees to gain formal employment in Lebanon, households appear to be relying more heavily on loans and informal employment, with female-headed households baring a heavier brunt than their male counterparts. 7

8 JORDAN Inter-Agency Regional Update-Syrian Refugees In July, some 190,000 extremely vulnerable Syrian refugees living in communities have received a reduced voucher value from US$28 to US$21. The 2015 WFP/REACH Comprehensive Food Security Monitoring Exercise (CFSME) conducted in Jordan, outlines the dramatic impact reductions in assistance have had on beneficiaries with only 15 per cent of households are food secure, down from 52 per cent last year. There has been a drastic increase in the number of households adopting negative coping strategies in order to buy food, with 12 per cent more households sending a male child to work as opposed to school, since Refugee families are now working in either exploitative, socially degrading or high risk jobs which place them at risk of being deported. EGYPT The WFP monitoring exercise found that an additional 10 per cent of households reported to have reduced both the number and the portion size of meals consumed per day in the last year. This is more hard felt amongst female-headed households, with almost half (46%) reducing the number of meals consumed per day compared to 35 per cent of male-headed households. Health The latest UNFPA Regional Situation Report for the Syria Crisis for the month of July is available now and features operational updates from UNFPA and partners on health and specifically reproductive health services: LEBANON Refugees and vulnerable Lebanese have various healthcare needs that need to be supported within a highly privatized and costly healthcare system. For refugees, these needs are compounded often by the traumatic experiences they faced in Syria during their flight as well as from complications arising from the extremely poor conditions in which most of them currently live. Vulnerable populations (nearly 75% being Syrians) have been accessing primary health care (PHC) services, and since the beginning of the year a total of 696,835 consultations were supported between January and June Secondary and tertiary healthcare was provided only to those who met strict criteria for hospitalization, namely life-saving, obstetric and emergency care services. In the month of July, UNFPA conducted 60 awareness sessions targeting 1,200 women in Akkar and Tripoli, which focused on enhancing knowledge and family planning among women and young girls. As part of the Safe Motherhood Campaign awareness sessions on infant and young child feeding were implemented benefitting 89 women in primary healthcare centres and hospitals in Bekaa. To improve Tuberculosis (TB) case detection rates, IOM in close collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) of the Ministry of Public Health started a nationwide screening campaign in June in major informal settlements and collective shelters across the country. Those diagnosed with TB will receive free medication and treatment follow-up from the nearest NTP centre. Until the month of July, 17,871 individuals have been screened, and 11 cases identified. The TB screening campaign is part of a project aiming at enhancing TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment for Syrian refugees and other vulnerable populations affected by the Syrian crisis in Lebanon. JORDAN UNFPA provided 17,212 reproductive health services to beneficiaries in camps and host communities during the month of July. Of the total, 3,592 women benefited from ante-natal care services while 1,716 women made use of family planning services. In Zaatari camp, UNFPA supported 210 safe deliveries and in Azraq, awareness sessions on reproductive health reached over 1,000 people. In July, IOM together with UNICEF facilitated a training for the Jordanian medical staff operating at the border on issues concerning lactating mothers and pregnant women. 8

9 EGYPT Inter-Agency Regional Update-Syrian Refugees Syrian refugees are largely urbanized and scattered in some 24 governorates across Egypt, and this poses a number of challenges for the refugees and the service providers, including quality and coverage of health services for the refugees. To ensure proper and accurate data collection on services utilized by Syrians in the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) primary health care (PHC) facilities, unified data collection procedure has been developed for precise reporting requirements. Arab Medical Union completed a training of a new group of 27 female community health volunteers (CHVs), who will join the existing group of CHVs to conduct home visits and disseminate health messages to Syrian families. Reaching out to Syrians and providing information on the health services through CHV s remains a key objective for the health sector in Egypt. Shelter and NFIs LEBANON The Shelter Sector estimated a requirement of US$147.2 million for shelter activities for 2015, to meet the critical shelter needs. Until June, US$41 million has been funded. With the continuous shortage in funding, the provision of low-cost activities, weatherproofing in informal settlements and substandard buildings, are prioritized based on the type and condition of individual shelters, the eviction risks, and socio-economic vulnerability of the refugee households. The rehabilitation of sub-standard buildings and weatherproofing kits have improved the living conditions of over 135,000 refugees and 8,000 Lebanese. The shelter sector is currently exploring options on how to make these two key shelter activities more sustainable. Refugees are increasingly moving from large informal settlements to smaller encampments, due to fear of being evicted. These smaller sites are difficult to identify and hard to reach. Thus, it significantly complicates the delivery of services to these individuals. Some 1,200 small sites (with less than four shelters each) have been mapped, with numbers expected to increase in the coming months. JORDAN Unconditional multi-purpose cash assistance programmes continue to be stepped up throughout the region in line with the 3RP strategy. In Jordan, during the month of July, cash assistance was provided to 97,417 vulnerable refugee families including Syrians, Iraqis and others. Water and Sanitation LEBANON Ensuring sustainable and equitable access to safe water in sufficient quantities has progressed through the completion of various projects including: equipping and connection of wells in south Lebanon, benefitting around 67,000 Lebanese and 20,000 displaced Syrians; and the construction of a 200m³ reservoir and the equipping of a well and its connection to the network in the Bekaa, benefitting an estimated 15,000 Lebanese and 13,000 displaced Syrians. UNICEF has completed the installation of 16 chlorination systems in the Bekaa valley, aimed at improving the water quality and safety to both Lebanese and hosted Syrian refugees, benefitting some 400,000 people. According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported cases of selected water-borne disease totaled 811 since the beginning of 2015, compared to 2,450 for the same period at the end of However, the risk of disease outbreak is ever-present and the health and WASH sectors have continued to improve the surveillance and referral systems as well as conducting training in preparedness and response for possible outbreaks. 9

10 JORDAN In Azraq camp which hosts some 19,000 people, UNICEF continued with the provision of WASH services along with final works on the new waste-water treatment plant and the new borehole, with the Ministry of Health issuing license for the borehole. IRAQ ACTED organized children s activities on hand-washing in Azraq refugee camp. We explained why hand-washing is important and how to do it right. In Erbil Governorate, Danish Refugee Council is establishing a water system in Qushtapa camp transit area to replace water trucking with more efficient and cost effective delivery mechanism. In the same camp, Qatar Red Crescent has organized training and distributed tools for refugees, who volunteered to support water supply operations and management. Community Empowerment and Self-Reliance LEBANON The community empowerment project implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has created new employment and income opportunities for residents of vulnerable communities in the Bekaa region. It has helped some 300 households, approximately 1,500 people maintain their existing jobs, as well as increase employability, and create further job opportunities for residents from the vulnerable communities in five industrial sub-sectors, including paint, wood, aluminum, textile, and metal. IRAQ In July, IOM provided 101 Syrian refugees living in camps in the KR-I with livelihood assistance in the form of inkind grants (IKG) for various small income generating projects and vocational trainings. Some 2,900 people have benefited so far from the intervention in

11 WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP ABAAD ACF Action contre la faim ACTED ActionAid ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency AMEL Association-Lebanese Popular Association for Popular Action ANERA American Near East Refugee Aid ARMADILLA AVSI The Association of Volunteers in International Service British Council CARE International Caritas CCPA Lebanon CDO Civil Development Organization CISP Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli CLMC Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center CONCERN COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale CRS Catholic Relief Services CVT Center for Victims of Torture DCA Dan Church Aid DOT Digital Opportunity Trust DRC Danish Refugee Council EMERGENCY FAO Food and Agricultural Organization FCA Finn Church Aid FPSC Fundacion Promocion Social de la Cultura GVC Gruppo di Volontariato HI Handicap International Humedica HWA Hilfswerk Austria International ILO International Labour Office IMC International Medical Corps International Alert INTERSOS IOCC International Orthodox Christian Charities IOM International Organization for Migration International Relief & Development IRC International Rescue Committee IRW Islamic Relief Worldwide JEN JHAS Jordan Health Aid Society JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KCSAMA Kurdistan Center for Strengthening Administrative and Managerial Abilities KURDS Leb Relief LWF Lutheran World Federation MAG Mines Advisory Group Makassed Makhzoumi Foundation MAP Medical Aid for Palestinians MEDIAR Mercy Corps Mercy USA MPDL Movement for Peace NEF Near East Foundation NICCOD Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development NRC Norwegian Refugee Council OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Oxfam PAO Public Aid Organization Partners Jordan Partners Turkey PCPM Polish Center for International Aid PU-AMI Première Urgence- Aide Médicale Internationale PWJ Peace Wind Japan QANDIL QRC Qatar Red Crescent Questscope RET Refugee Education Trust RHAS Royal Health Awareness Society RI Relief International Safadi Foundation SCI Save the Children International SCJ Save the Children Jordan SeraphimGLOBAL SFCG Search for Common Ground SI Solidaritiés International SIF Secours Islamique France Solidar Suisse SOS Children s Village TDH Terre des Hommes TDHI Terre des Hommes Italia Toastmasters International UN Women UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UN-Habitat UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children s Fund UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency UPP Un Ponte Per URDA Union of Relief and Development Association War Child Holland War Child UK WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organization WRF World Rehabilitation Fund WVI World Vision International 11

12 FINANCIAL INFORMATION (2015) 2015 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Agencies are very grateful for the financial support provided by donors who have contributed to their activities with unearmarked and broadly earmarked funds as well as for those who have contributed directly to the situation. 3RP Total Funding Requirements for 2015 (Refugee and Resilience): US$5,506,704,435 3RP Agency Total Requirements for 2015 (Refugee and Resilience): US$4,533,248,258 Donors who have contributed to the situation: Australia Austria Belgium Canada CERF Czech Republic Denmark ERF European Union Finland France Germany Holy See Ireland Italy Japan Netherlands Norway Private donors Qatar Saudi Arabia Spain Switzerland United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Funding received (in million USD) for the Agency Requirements for 2015 A total of USD 1.38 billion* has been funded Lebanon Jordan Turkey Iraq Egypt Funded Gap Total Requested ,553 * This is excluding the funding requested and received by Governments. Includes US$50 million of regionally earmarked funds that has been received and is pending allocation by country. Contacts: Rebecca Blackledge, UNHCR Reporting Officer, blackled@unhcr.org Tel: +962 (0) Nini Gurung, UNHCR Associate Reporting Officer, gurungn@unhcr.org Tel: +962 (0) Links: Syria Regional Refugee Response Inter-agency Information Sharing Portal UNHCR Syria Emergency Response 12