ANNUAL REPORT MENA 2016

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT MENA

2 Cover Photo by: Mais Salman/DRC

3 CONTENTS 04 ACRONYMS 06 FOREWARD 08 DRC/DDG IN MENA 10 LEBANON 16 SYRIA 24 IRAQ 38 TURKEY 44 TUNISIA AND LIBYA 50 ALGERIA 54 Consortia 58 DDG 65 FACTS AND FIGURES 32 JORDAN DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1956 that works in 39 countries throughout the world. DRC fulfils its mandate by providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations- refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities in the conflict areas of the world and by advocating on their behalf internationally and in Denmark. DRC s vision for the regional programme in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reflects the global vision to work towards the protection and promotion of durable solutions to refugee and displacement problems, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. The overall goal of DRC s strategy for MENA is: to support and strengthen a regional protection framework for displacement-affected communities throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Danish Demining Group The Danish Demining Group (DDG) is a Humanitarian Mine Action Unit within the DRC. DDG s mission is to create a safe environment where people can live free from armed violence and remnants of conflict. DDG operates in some of the most fragile and conflict-affected places in the world. DDG s vision for the regional programme in MENA reflects its global focus of addressing the needs of those countries most affected by landmines and other explosive remnants of war as well as widespread proliferation of small arms and light weapons. DDG has a special focus on addressing the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. DDG seeks to utilise regional and cross-border synergies where possible, and prefers to operate in countries where the DRC already has a presence in order to strengthen the link between DDG s Mine Action and Armed Violence Reduction work and DRC s emergency interventions and longer-term development programmes.

4 ACRONYMS BPRM Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration CBO Community Based Organization CCCM Camp Coordination and Camp Management CDRD Community Driven Recovery and Development CFS Child Friendly Space CP Child Protection CRI Core Relief Item CSOs Civil Society Organizations CSP Community Support Projects DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DDG Danish Demining Group DFID UK Department for International Development DRC Danish Refugee Council DSP District Safety Plan EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal ERW Explosive Remnants of War FSE Fire Arms Safety Education GBV Gender Based Violence IDPs Internally Displaced Persons IED Improvised Explosive Devices IKMAA Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency KR Kurdistan Region of Iraq 4

5 IMPR International Middle East Peace Research Centre ISIL Islamic State Iraq and Levant MENA Middle East and North Africa MRE Mine Risk Education NFI Non-Food Items OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs PRS Palestine Refugee from Syria PSS Psychosocial Support Services RMMS Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat SALW Small Arms and Light Weapons SARC Syrian Arab Red Crescent SIRF Syria INGO Regional Forum SOK Sealing Off Kit SPD Strategic Programme Document SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children s Emergency Fund UNMAS United Nations Mine Action Service VST Vocational skills training UXO Unexploded Ordnance WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene 5

6 FOREWORD We are pleased to present the 2016 Annual Report for the Middle East and North Africa region of the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Demining Group. The first half of 2016 saw a continuation of the trend observed in 2015 towards globalisation of the refugee crises, highlighting the need for a new, comprehensive approach to address the protracted Syria crisis as outlined at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference held in London during February. In support of this aim, we co-authored a report entitled Stand and Deliver, which reviewed the commitments made by international donors and also those of Syria s neighbouring countries to improve the lives of refugees and host communities. While a lot of progress has been made both in terms of financial pledges and policy change, a lot remains to be done. Without further efforts to implement the wide-reaching policy framework agreed in London, there is a risk that the funding disbursed will fail to have a measurable and sustainable impact on people s lives. While most of the world s attention remained focused on Syria, the conflicts in Iraq and Libya continued to intensify with very negative impacts on the respective populations. In Iraq, the humanitarian context deteriorated significantly with a rapid rise in displacement by the end of the year due to the start of a military campaign in October to re-take the city of Mosul from the Islamic State. By the end of December, over 121,000 people had been displaced from the city, while a total of nearly three million had been displaced across the country. The offensive in Mosul, however, is only the latest in a series of crises that Iraqis have suffered over the last two and a half years, since a Level 3 humanitarian emergency was introduced in the summer of In Libya, at the peak of hostilities in 2016, nearly half a million Libyans were displaced from their homes, many of them having experienced multiple instances of displacement. Host communities absorbed the bulk of the internally displaced, however, as the situation became more protracted, their resources and basic services became scarce and overstretched. Our strategic approach in Libya was shaped by the significant protection needs associated with mixed migration flows through Libya and the central Mediterranean route. Return of people displaced by the conflicts in the region is hampered, among other reasons, by the massive presence of explosive remnants of war, landmines and improvised explosive devices left on the battlefields by the parties to the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya. As long as the explosive legacy of these conflicts exist, there remains a threat to the physical safety and security of the people who live in, move or travel around many parts of the countries, thus blocking any attempts by people to return home to rebuild their lives. A cessation of conflict and improvement of stability for people will require a concerted and dedicated engagement from the international community and key regional actors. While this is challenging, as 2016 continued to demonstrate, the stakes are too high to allow these conflicts to continue, first and foremost for the civilians who continue to suffer, but also for the stability of the region and beyond. 6

7 In recognition of increasing displacement, the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September was the first time the UN General Assembly had called for a summit at the Heads of State and Government level on large movements of refugees and migrants. On the day of the Summit, 193 Member States signed up to the New York Declaration, which in turn gave birth to two processes: the Global Compact on Refugees and the Compact for Migration. Both compacts are considered landmark processes that are directed at improving the way in which the international community responds to large movements of refugees and migrants, as well as to protracted refugee situations. In April 2016, we launched our first advocacy campaign on livelihoods and economic security, entitled #LetRefugeesWork. The campaign aims to utilise our learnings on the value of allowing refugees to work in countries of asylum, both from a humanitarian and an economic perspective. The same month saw the beginning of our mission in Algeria in response to the livelihood needs of the Saharawi refugees, with whom we have been successful in establishing a significant degree of acceptance within the camp communities and with the Saharawi authorities. The situations we are facing in the region continue to be very challenging, but our efforts have yielded concrete results for people affected by conflict. We thank all those who have supported our work and express our gratitude to the more than 1,000 committed and professional staff members working in more than 20 operational bases in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. The situations we are facing in the region continue to be very challenging On behalf of Danish Refugee Council and Danish Demining Group we thank all our partners and donors for your continued collaboration and support. Garry Garvey Regional Director, DRC Middle East and North Africa Lene Rasmussen Regional Manager, DDG Middle East and North Africa 7

8 DRC/DDG IN MENA 8

9 SECTORS 9

10 LEBANON AKKAR TRIPOLI BAALBAK ZAHLE BEIRUT SAIDA 10

11 INTRODUCTION Lebanon continues to host the largest number of refugees in the world calculated either per capita or per square meter. With an estimated 1.5 million registered and unregistered Syrian refugees, 25% of the country s population are refugees. The crisis in Syria has had a profound humanitarian and socio-economic impact on Lebanon and its people. The vulnerabilities of the refugee population in Lebanon are met with increasing vulnerabilities of host communities where the number of poor Lebanese has risen by approximately two thirds since the onset of the Syrian crisis. Accordingly, the impacts of the Syrian crisis have placed a significant strain on the economy, public services and infrastructure of Lebanon, as well as on demographic factors and social relations. Host community concerns are grounded on local economic stagnation, limited socio-economic infrastructure, increasing unemployment, tension and security concerns. In 2016, Syrian refugees displacement into Lebanon remained predominantly stable, with few new arrivals following the closure of the Syria-Lebanon border in early UNHCR no longer registers new arrivals and with complex and costly residency procedures, the majority of Syrian refugees do not have legal stay in Lebanon. Accordingly, refugees face a myriad difficulties including restrictions to freedom of movement, access to services, and the right to work. Although the number of people in need remained relatively steady in 2016, the restrictive livelihoods, movement regulations, rises in debt and other negative coping mechanisms contributed to the deepening vulnerability of many, weakening their ability to cover basic needs and putting them at an increased risk of exploitation, abuse, and human rights violations. Women and children account for 80% of the refugee population, 25% OF THE COUNTRY S POPULATION ARE REFUGEES with 54% below 18 years of age. Similarly, 78% of Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS) are women and children, and 57% are below 18 years of age. Since 2004, DRC has been one of the largest international humanitarian NGOs operating in Lebanon. In 2016, DRC Lebanon s focus was to address the needs and rights of the refugee and host populations in their protracted displacement context while maintaining emergency response capacity to ensure flexibility in a highly volatile environment. DRC Lebanon focuses its programming on three primary axes: Integrated Emergency Response; Solutions to Displacement; and Resilience and Stability; operating protection, livelihoods, shelter and non-food-items, and community infrastructure and services programmes. DRC Lebanon operates its activities in areas heavily populated with refugees, namely the Bekaa Valley, North Lebanon (Tripoli-T5, Akkar) and South Lebanon (Saida Governorate). 11

12 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DRC Lebanon s country strategy in 2016 was closely aligned with the inter-agency Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP). Specifically, DRC s strategy was to support refugees and host communities with protection, livelihood, shelter and community empowerment interventions while emphasising close coordination and cooperation with other international and national stakeholders. In 2016, DRC reached 52,811 individuals both Lebanese and Syrian through its interventions in North, Bekaa, and South Lebanon. The country offices approach for 2016 focused on delivering an integrated approach, ensuring multiple sectors of assistance in the same geographic areas to maximise the impacts of assistance. DRC also focused on strengthening its work through local partners by engaging with more than 12 local organisations in all intervention areas. DRC Lebanon expanded on its engagement with local authorities through working with municipalities on a variety of activities ranging from providing training to supporting a variety of community support projects. In addition, DRC provided a range of support to municipalities including secondment of Municipal Support Assistants as well as leading in establishing many refugee committees, which helped enhance the communication between local authorities, the refugee population and the local communities in the respective areas of intervention. Throughout 2016, DRC Lebanon focused on responding to the needs of the refugees in the protracted crisis through maintaining its evidence-based protection programming and strengthening its community approach to protection. DRC also developed its livelihood interventions supporting vulnerable members of displacement-affected communities in their economic recovery, and in the strengthening of social cohesion between displaced people and host communities. Concurrently, DRC Lebanon invested in providing refugees, host communities, and other conflict-affected populations with adequate shelter and acceptable living conditions, while rehabilitating community infrastructure contributing to comprehensive protection and social and economic wellbeing. Protection DRC Lebanon provided protection for more than 15,000 individuals - refugees and host community members through its protection monitoring based interventions delivering psychosocial support, case management, skills development, emergency cash, and community based protection. The approach gave particular attention to women and children, especially adolescent girls and also targeted their caretakers in the aim to prevent early marriage and different types of negative coping mechanisms. DRC Lebanon also introduced legal counselling and awareness to strengthen and complement its integrated approach to programming. DRC created community based networks, in the north and the Bekaa, that worked on 12

13 applying gender based violence prevention and child protection approaches to community activities and outreach. DRC also worked with more than 50 community protection focal points and reached close to 3,000 individuals monthly for its protection monitoring activities. Income Generation In 2016, livelihoods and economic strengthening was established as an independent sector for DRC Lebanon while maintaining the integrated approach to targeting beneficiaries. DRC leads a livelihoods consortium of six organisations in both Lebanon and Jordan. The projects focus on providing skills and vocational training as well as awareness raising, job matching and referrals to both vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian individuals through livelihood profiling. Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) Shelter continued to be a huge need in 2016 with most areas of Lebanon continuing to remain severely underserved. DRC Lebanon supported more than 10,000 Syrian and Lebanese beneficiaries through distribution of relief packages in informal settlements, managing collective centres, and providing cash for work across the different regions of Lebanon such as Akkar, Tripoli, Bekaa, and South. In addition, DRC provided rentfree homes for more than 1,200 of the most vulnerable refugee families through shelter rehabilitations and cash for rent. DRC implemented more than 50 community support projects that mainly targeted the infrastructure of the most vulnerable areas benefiting both refugee and host communities. In addition to providing multi-purpose cash assistance to vulnerable communities, DRC also provided shelter kits to individuals living in informal settlements in Akkar, Tripoli and Bekaa in order to assist in weatherproofing and maintaining warmth and dignity. DRC launched three job counselling centres in Tripoli, Zahle and Baalbek areas, where beneficiaries receive counselling on job rights and opportunities. DRC also provided apprenticeships for individuals who underwent training. In addition, DRC supported joint Lebanese/ Syrian start-up business partnerships by providing 18 grants for micro and small enterprises in Tripoli region. Community Infrastructure and Services In addition to providing shelter support, DRC undertook numerous community support projects such as the rehabilitation of public roads, public schools, water sources and 13

14 sewage treatment in the North of Lebanon and the Bekaa. These activities achieved the dual purpose of fostering a sense of community while simultaneously creating work opportunities for vulnerable households. Furthermore DRC Lebanon managed ten community centres where daily outreach activities and livelihood services extended to over 8,000 beneficiaries. Other interventions by DRC Lebanon provided communities with the chance to implement community-based activities and social events in the Akkar area as well as establishing community based committees that worked on implementing awareness and sensitisation campaigns for the wider community. relationship with their constituency by placing staff to be Municipal Support Assistants as well as by providing them with different training as needed. Finally, DRC Lebanon also supported the Ministry of Social affairs, through providing capacity development for social development centre staff, community development centre staff and volunteers. Through its community empowerment interventions, DRC also worked with ten municipalities, in both the Bekaa and the North, to train and support them in preparing Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. DRC also worked on supporting the municipalities and strengthening their 2017 STRATEGIC FOCUS DRC believes that if displacement-affected populations in Lebanon are provided with the means to cope by both government and civil society, then their ability to sustain themselves and build resilience in the longrun will be strengthened. Therefore, DRC plans to focus on engaging and capacitating national and local government, and Lebanese civil society to gradually strengthen their delivery capacities and incrementally assume full responsibility for providing for the needs of displacement-affected communities as well as technically across all four DRC sectors of intervention: Livelihoods, Housing & Infrastructure, Governance and Protection. Within this methodology, DRC will seek innovation and quality in its programming in support of duty bearers to address the multifaceted challenges arising from the protracted displacements in Lebanon. DRC s priority areas will be to ensure emergency response capacities are in place to respond to the possibility of an escalating crisis, improve living conditions, provide access to basic services and livelihood opportunities through an integrated response and strengthen protection and self-reliance for the most vulnerable displacement-affected households and communities. In addition, DRC aims to improve social cohesion and prevent further displacement to enhance the protective environment of displaced populations in Lebanon. 14

15 VOICES FROM THE FIELD Training for better work opportunities Lina Shouman is a Lebanese mother who has been searching for a job for the past year with no luck. The 28-year-old had stopped working for four after she gave birth to her two children, however she needed to get back into the job field to help her husband support the family. Lina had completed an accredited computer course and a few trainings to make her resume more attractive and be able to find a job easily. It is difficult to find a job especially in laboratory science. Hospitals do not need many staff, she says. After approaching the Danish Refugee Council s Job Counselling Centre in Zahleh, Lina was given some hope to find a job. At first, she received counselling on job rights and opportunities. The livelihoods programme at DRC in Lebanon focuses on providing skills and vocational training as well as awareness raising, job matching and referrals to both vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian individuals through livelihood profiling. DRC provided Lina with support for CV writing and interview skills, in addition to contacting hospitals in the area about possible vacancies. The young mother is now training at the hospital and was informed that there will be a job placement in the next few months. I AM TRYING TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO HAVE THE CHANCE OF BEING A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE Lina trains in a hospital in Zahle, Lebanon. January Photo by: Mais Salman 15

16 SYRIA ALEPPO HAMA HOMS DAMASCUS/ RURAL DAMASCUS DARAA 16

17 INTRODUCTION As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh year, an estimated 13.5 million people continue to require immediate humanitarian assistance, including 6.3 million IDPs. To date, the conflict has killed over 300,000 people, including 86,000 civilians, and has caused large scale displacement throughout the country. During 2016, an average of 6,150 individuals were displaced per day. Furthermore, an estimated 170,000 individuals are estimated to be stranded on Syria s borders, due to restrictions put in place by neighbouring refugee hosting countries. The conflict has also resulted in millions of long term IDPs who for the most part have widespread needs and face multiple challenges accessing livelihood opportunities in hosting communities; where the host residents themselves are struggling with economic hardship. As a result of the constantly shifting front lines, many long-term IDPs have been displaced multiple times since they initially fled their homes in search of safety. Furthermore, multiple displacements have been experienced as a result of IDPs seeking cheaper accommodation and / or livelihood opportunities as financial resources have been depleted. Since 2008, DRC has been working with the Syrian Arab Red Cross (SARC) as a main partner that provides access to governmental ministries. Operationally, SARC supports DRC with access, physical transportation and supports in distribution to areas where DRC cannot have direct access to the following right holders who are IDPs, students, teachers, host communities, refugees and returnees. In order to ensure that needs are met of these right bearers through DRC programming, DRC engages with duty bearers as well as key stakeholders in various ways. Duty bearers include sub ministries such as Ministry of Education (MoE), Social Affairs AN AVERAGE OF 6,150 INDIVIDUALS WERE DISPLACED PER DAY (MoSA), Local Administration (MoLA), and Foreign Affairs (MoFA). In 2012, DRC Syria was allowed to assist displaced and conflict-affected Syrians. Since then, DRC activities have focused on NFI distributions, shelter, WASH, protection, education, livelihood and mine risk education in six Governorates Damascus, Rural Damascus, Dara a, Aleppo, Hama and Homs. Protection and community service activities are provided to beneficiaries through six Community Centres and DRC is currently the biggest INGO operation in Syria. Despite the widespread and well-defined humanitarian needs, there are significant gaps in geographic coverage, sectorial responses, and assistance to vulnerable groups. Besieged and hard-to-reach locations, including military encircled areas, remain challenging to access. As of 2016, many locations have only been reached by one sector or not reached at all, coverage gaps are exacerbated by the critical capacity limitations among humanitarian actors. Lastly, identifying and assisting vulnerable groups remains a persistent challenge. 17

18 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DRC aims to meet lifesaving, immediate needs for conflict affected populations, migrants and other vulnerable groups through integrated and principled assistance, services and advocacy. Furthermore, to reduce displacement-related risks, DRC s programmes aim to support, and facilitate solutions through increasing the quality of life for people in protracted displacement settings, help transition towards durable solutions and strengthen social cohesion with local host communities via advocacy and assistance that promotes and facilitates principled, equal and sustained access to protection, livelihoods, and to promote collective resilience and social cohesion by supporting the capacity of institutions and duty bearers at the community level. for internally displaced populations, DRC in close cooperation with the Ministry of Local Administration rehabilitated 2,020 rooms in collective shelters and unfinished buildings to accommodate 10,100 IDPs across Homs, Aleppo, Dara a and rural Damascus. To meet these goals, DRC operates in the fields of shelter and non-food-items, WAH, protection, livelihoods, community infrastructure and services, and education. Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) Aiming to rapidly respond to critical lifesaving needs, with a particular focus on the most acute needs in the most underserved areas, including besieged and hard to reach areas; a total of 8,990 NFI kits were procured and dispatched to DRC s main partner the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in 2016, and distributed throughout Syria in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Dara a, Quneitra, Aleppo, Homs, Lattakia, Tratous and Al- Swieda. A total of 44,950 individuals were provided with NFIs which include high thermal blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, plastic sheets, sleeping mats, and winter clothing kits. With the objective of alleviating suffering and increasing access to humanitarian response Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) In 2016, DRC in partnership with the Ministry of Education rehabilitated 32 schools in four governorates; Homs, Aleppo, Dara a and 18

19 Rural of Damascus which included WASH works and installation of blast films for glass window, and provision of furniture and school equipment to assist 18,700 students. Protection Legal aid is one of the main activities of DRC s protection programme in Syria since The programme is in line with the Syrian laws and regulations in force and under the umbrella of Syria Arab Red Crescent. In 2011, the protection sector expanded its activities to provide social counselling, psychosocial counselling and awareness sessions tailored to beneficiary needs. activities through five community centres in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Dara a, and Homs, where protection teams in partnership with SARC provided 28,042 protection services to refugees, IDPs and host community members. DRC provided 19,012 protection social counselling services including needs assessment for new comers, identifying protection cases, activities for children and women, and vocational training for adults, especially for women. DRC provided 9,030 protection legal services including, but not limited to, individual legal consultations to cover questions about restoration of documents like birth and marriage registration, death certificates, and other legal consultations relevant to the Syrian family and civil status law including custody, alimony, dowry, lineage, inheritance and divorce. In the same context DRC s legal team conducted legal awareness sessions according to the most urgent needs such as lost documents, customary marriage, property, domestic violence and birth registration and lineage. Income Generation In partnership with SARC and the Ministry of Education (MoE), DRC reached a total of 1,332 beneficiaries including IDPs, refugees, and the host community. This included provision of varied interventions to support beneficiaries in achieving their livelihoods action plan, including vocational training, marketing and business skills training, employability work ethics training, business plan development, internships, business incubation, and the provision of micro grants to help people restart their entrepreneurial activities. As of 2016, DRC implemented the protection project with scaling up social and legal DRC supports beneficiaries to enter a diverse range of 29 sectors which include accounting, barbering, carpentry, maintenance, and electronic device maintenance. 19

20 Education DRC s education programme aims to scale up safe and equitable access to formal and non-formal education to children with poor academic performance and at risk of dropping out. Community Infrastructure and Services The community centres aim to provide a space for integration, skill building, and socialising. In partnership with SARC, DRC operates five community centres located in Jaramana, Masaken Barzeh, Qudsya, Dara a, and Homs governorates. Through those community centres, 13,384 beneficiaries attended skills development activities, 15,811 students attended afterschool support and learning difficulties in addition to 718 youth who received life skills sessions. The total number of beneficiaries who approached the community centres in the five governorates was 36,286 with a monthly average of 3,023 visitors. In 2016, DRC in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE) implemented remedial classes, an informal education activity which takes place after the formal school shift, to assist 35,857 students in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo. In addition, DRC provided 135 schools with stationery kits, recreational kits, and cleaning materials. In response to the Back to School campaign which was carried out by the MoE, DRC distributed stationary kits to 3,900 students registered in remedial classes. DRC provided capacity building sessions for MoE teachers on protection social services, remedial education, and active learning which take place one to two times a year and in 2016 targeted 333 teachers who work in the MoE schools. Risk Education The overall objective of the risk education project is to reduce the impact of explosive hazards on the civilian population in Syria, primarily children and youth, by raising awareness and promoting safe behaviour through risk education. The risk education project was implemented in close cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Education. Core activities of the project included ToT (Training of Trainers) of school teachers from Aleppo, Hama, Idleb governorates targeting 753 teachers, risk education lessons by the trained teachers in their respective schools to train 350,004 students, design and development of relevant awareness materials for children (t-shirts, notebooks, leaflets and posters). 20

21 2017 STRATEGIC FOCUS In 2017, DRC in Syria aims at capitalizing the operational presence, expertise and lessons learned through the simultaneous delivery of the three strategic programmatic platforms: (a) Responding to emergency (b) Solutions to displacement and (c) Addressing root causes The country strategy entails the following implementation modalities::: Area based approach: In order to meet evolving needs and to ensure greater impact on the lives of the target population, DRC progressively converges its sector(s) capacity and expertise in priority areas selected on the basis of the Humanitarian Needs Overview severity scale and field assessments conducted directly or through local partners in coordination with line Ministries and concentration of displaced population. The simultaneous and integrated implementation of the different core activities is a critical condition for the consolidation of DRC operational presence and further scale up in locations where access is granted and outreach capacity enables assistance and protection of the most vulnerable individuals, households, communities and institutions. Developing partnerships and promoting networks: The operational access constraints and the fragmented and polarized communities in Syria require systematic engagements and gradual investments in network building with administrative levels, key stakeholders and community based organizations. DRC aims at expanding its outreach capacity through tailored capacity building for assistance and service provision to local partners. In addition, DRC aims to streamline and integrate local referral pathways in community centres, primary schools, vocational training facilities and across its areas of interventions. Establishing protection monitoring systems: In order to inform programme design and evidence based advocacy, a protection monitoring system will be developed and rolled out across the centres. The information collected will guide DRC decisions on geographical prioritization, selection of beneficiaries and combination of assistance entitlements and/or referral to external agencies for persons of concern. The data collection modalities will be negotiated with relevant stakeholders and local authorities to ensure minimum level of direct engagement with beneficiaries. 21

22 VOICES FROM THE FIELD The Syrian family kitchen After Nahla and her family lost their home during a shelling in 2013, they moved to a safer area in Rural Damascus and rented house. The family of now six lives in the rural parts of Syria s capital where their new house also became their source of income. Similar to the more than six million people who are now internally displaced in Syria, Nahla s husband Khaled lost his job. He was a manager at a food factory in Damascus, and after losing everything, he needed to find a way to provide for their family. Out of their love for food and need for a business idea that can succeed, Nahla and Khaled decided to establish a home-based kitchen where they prepare Arabic dishes and meals for different customers. With support from the Danish Refugee Council s project for small businesses, Nahla and Khaled s idea was put to action. They were provided with trainings including marketing and business skills, employability work ethics training, business plan development, and a grant to help them start. The couple spend more than ten hours a day cooking and distributing meals across the city in hope of being able to cover their daily costs of living. Rent prices in the area has gone up with the influx of IDP s; the house is small especially with the kitchen, the rent is high too and the business barely covers the costs, says Nahla. Without their business, Nahla and Khaled would have not been able to provide for their two children; a girl studying dentistry and a boy in his last year of high school. We are also caring for my mother and Nahla s too, says Khaled who with his wife recalled seeing their destroyed house on TV earlier this year. If not for the project, the future of our family would have been unknown, we would have sought refuge outside of Syria, says Nahla, glad that she did not have to leave her country. The couple hope to expand their business as companies and organisations are ordering food from their kitchen and their sales are increasing. IF NOT FOR THE PROJECT, THE FUTURE OF OUR FAMILY WOULD HAVE BEEN UNKNOWN 22

23 Nahla and her husband pose for a photo in their home in Rural Damascus, Syria Photo by: Rafel Al-Yasseri 23

24 IRAQ DUHOK NINEWA ERBIL SALAH-AL-DIN KIRKUK DIYALA BAGHDAD ANBAR KERBALA NAJAF BABEL 24

25 INTRODUCTION In 2016, the humanitarian context in Iraq deteriorated significantly, with a rapid rise in displacement at the end of the year due to the start of a military campaign in October to re-take the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS). As of the end of December 2016, over 121,000 individuals had been displaced from Mosul, while a total of nearly three million were displaced across the country. However, the offensive in Mosul is only the latest in a series of crises Iraqis have suffered over the last two and a half years; a Level 3 humanitarian emergency the highest designation possible has been in effect in Iraq since the summer of In addition to IDPs, Iraq also hosts over 230,000 Syrian refugees, and has witnessed the return of 1.4 million people to re-taken areas since April This widespread and dynamic movement of people within and across Iraq s borders has engendered severe needs across the country, in formal camps and informal settlements hosting IDPs and Syrian refugees; in host communities, where resources are overstretched by the influx of IDPs; and in areas of return, where property has often been destroyed and basic goods and services are still limited. The Humanitarian Response Plan estimated that ten million IRAQ HOSTS 230,000 SYRIAN REFUGEES OVER 3 MILLION INDIVIDUALS WERE IN DISPLACEMENT ACROSS IRAQ people nearly one in three people in Iraq were in need across the country in In 2003, following the start of foreign military operations in Iraq, DRC became one of the first organisations to provide humanitarian assistance in the country, and now operates in 11 governorates, including Anbar, Baghdad, Babel, Diyala, Dohuk, Erbil, Karbala, Kirkuk, Najaf, Ninewa, and Salah-al-Din. DRC Iraq uses a community-based methodology and focuses on balancing the protection needs of refugees, IDPs, returnees, and host community members with support for basic services. In 2016, the country portfolio amounted to roughly $43 million, and included 37 projects funded by 16 donors. DRC engaged in two country-wide consortia in 2016: the Cash Consortium of Iraq (CCI) and the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), both of which aim to provide emergency assistance to displacement-affected populations. DRC also participates in international, regional, and national coordination bodies, and holds regular meetings with central authorities. 25

26 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS In 2016, DRC s strategic approach was driven by the significant and rapidly-increasing multi-sector humanitarian needs in several governorates across the country, and aimed to provide integrated emergency support to displacement-affected populations. Due to a rapid expansion of needs and corresponding relief efforts in 2016, DRC opened two new offices, in Zummar and Tikrit, to address the growing humanitarian crisis. In 2016, DRC reached roughly 1.2 million beneficiaries across the country. DRC REACHED 1.2 MILLION BENEFICIARIES ACROSS IRAQ DRC is a leading protection agency in the country, and mainstreams protection throughout all sectors of operation; DRC also hosts the Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator. Other sectors of DRC intervention include Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), shelter and Non-Food-Items (NFIs), cash, livelihoods, and camp coordination and management services. DRC s Mosul Response DRC s main points of intervention in response to the Mosul crisis include the Qayyarah sub-district in Ninewa; the Debaga IDP camps in Makhmour; Erbil; and Tikrit, Salah al-din. These interventions are coordinated from DRC s offices in Erbil, Dohuk, and Tikrit, where a new sub-office opened in 2016 to support emergency operations in south/central Iraq, and to provide immediate assistance to new displacements from southern Ninewa and Kirkuk. In addition, in 2016, DRC participated in the country-wide Rapid Response Mechanism, in partnership with six other I/NGO actors, to provide emergency short-term support to newly displaced populations. Camp Coordination and Management Services DRC is a global institutional partner of UNHCR for camp coordination, and throughout 2016 led activities in Erbil s four main Syrian refugee camps: Basirma, Qushtapa, Darashakran, and Kawergosk. At the end of 2016, DRC participated in a successful hand-over of camp management to the Erbil Refugee Council (ERC) in all four camps. DRC worked to provide safe environments and dignified living conditions within the camps, as well as to build the capacity of camp actors including the residents to improve the sustainability of the sites. In south-central Iraq, DRC implemented camp coordination activities across all areas of operation. In Anbar, Baghdad, and other governorates, DRC addressed the needs of IDPs, mainly from Anbar, and many of whom are in informal and temporary sites with little 26

27 access to services. DRC has deployed mobile camp coordination teams to assess needs and provide assistance in these areas, where a static presence is not feasible or appropriate. In Mosul, DRC is managing the camp coordination response in the Qayyarah Airstrip Emergency Site on behalf of The Ministry of Migration and Displacement (MoDM). The Site experienced a rapid influx of IDPs in late 2016, and DRC has registered 18,543 individuals in the Site, allocated 3,224 plots with an additional 500 plots prepared to be completed in January 2017 and coordinated the provision of services and distribution of goods and services. Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) DRC s shelter and NFI activities in northern Iraq focused on supporting camp management activities in the four Syrian refugee camps in Erbil. Whenever possible, DRC implements an integrated approach to programming, complementing work in different sectors to achieve a unified, coordinated, and comprehensive relief effort. Complementing the camp coordination response in informal IDP sites throughout south/central Iraq, DRC has distributed Core Relief Items (CRIs), NFIs, and provided shelter assistance to host communities and IDPs in Anbar, Baghdad, Karbala, and Diyala. DRC s shelter teams provided 1,882 shelter services including emergency shelters, construction, and upgrades in Syrian refugee camps and distributed more than 15,300 NFIs and CRIs in Kirkuk, Anbar, Diyala, Baghdad, Erbil, Ninewa, and Karbala. In Mosul, DRC s shelter and NFI response focused on providing immediate support and relief by distributing basic items and shelter assistance. NFIs, CRIs, and Sealing off Kits (SOKs) ensure that IDPs have access to basic materials while still in transit or upon arrival at emergency sites and camps. DRC also provided support for camp management actors to ensure proper oversight, accountability, and efficacy in the daily administration of the camp and voiced concerns about issues in the camp to ensure a safe protection and dignified living environment for all camp residents. In Tikrit, DRC supported UNCHR in administering the Al-Alam camps, which are largely occupied by IDPs from Hawiga, Kirkuk, where military operations to dislodge armed opposition groups in late 2016 forced many families to flee. 27

28 In 2016, DRC pre-positioned 1,360 CRIs and 520 mobile NFI kits to address displacement from Mosul. In addition, DRC distributed 400 SOKs and 680 NFI kits to IDPs from Mosul and reached 16,769 people through the RRM in northern Ninewa and Qayyarah to assist newly displaced persons. Protection DRC is committed to the protection of vulnerable populations including refugees, IDPs, host communities, returnees, and other conflict-affected persons at the international, country, and local level. DRC s protection interventions include collecting data and information about protection needs and concerns, providing direct assistance, referring cases to other aid providers, supporting community-based protection mechanisms, and engaging in capacity-building for local protection actors. DRC s protection activities are often mobile such as mobile Child Protection Spaces to provide support in more formal and informal IDP sites, and host communities, than would be possible through a static response. DRC also provided financial and technical support to national protection actors, supported community based protection groups, established focal points in Baghdad, Diyala, Karbala, and Najaf to ensure access to public healthcare services for IDPs and referred vulnerable cases to specialized partners in informal sites in these areas. In 2016 in northern Iraq, DRC provided over 12,420 people with awareness and sensitisation information, and identified and referred 783 people with special needs. Protection teams also provided recreation and psychosocial support to 8,197 people, legal assistance to 1,112 people, and life skills training to 359 people. Through the special needs fund, DRC teams assisted 1,678 vulnerable people in Iraq. With regards to child protection, DRC in Ninewa reached 6,409 children through protection monitoring, referred 1,681 children, provided child protection awareness and sensitisation information to 1,979 children and 2,600 adults, and trained 24 partner and government staff on child protection and rights. In 2016, DRC also established one community centre and two child friendly spaces in Ameriyat Al Fallujah Kimyawi Camp and provided cash assistance to 385 people with special needs. DRC s protection response in the context of the Mosul crisis focused on improving coordination among partners through the establishment of two new Protection Working Groups, one in southern Mosul and one in Salah al-din. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Many of DRC s WASH activities complement shelter and camp management interventions in the four Syrian refugee camps in Erbil. DRC also has substantial experience implementing WASH projects in northern Ninewa, and is the primary WASH actor in the sub-district of Zummar. WASH activities in DRC s portfolio include direct implementation of construction and 28

29 rehabilitation works, distribution of WASH items, contracting local service providers, and community awareness campaigns. In 2016, DRC provided access to adequate and safe water and improved solid waste management to 125,600 refugees, IDPs, and host community members in Baghdad, Faida, Dohuk, Zummar, Raabia, and Shingal in northern Ninewa through the rehabilitation and improvement of public WASH infrastructure. DRC also provided 5,376m 3 of safe drinking water to families in Anbar. DRC WASH teams distributed water collection and storage items to 684 households, facilitated the distribution of 784 hygiene kits to families and conducted ten hygiene awareness sessions in schools in Syrian refugee camps and in Erbil. Teams also installed 32 latrines and 500L water storage tanks, and provided 4,284 people with access to clean drinking water for two months in Habbaniya Tourist City (HTC), in Anbar. In addition, DRC provided 1,500 individuals with hygiene awareness sessions and trained 8,412 people in hygiene promotion, and provided them with improved hygiene and water supply infrastructure in Kirkuk, Karbala, and Ninewa. DRC s WASH activities were concentrated in the Dibaga IDP camps in Makhmour, Erbil, and in the Qayyarah Airstrip Emergency Site. These interventions aimed to provide sanitary and dignified access to drinking water, toilets and shower facilities, and a clean camp environment. DRC provided 12,525 people in the Qayyarah Airstrip Emergency Site with water trucking, communal showers, communal latrines, and garbage removal in addition to trainings. Teams in Dibaga camps in Erbil provided further WASH support through installing water taps, tanks, latrines and showers and provided garbage containers and WASH training to IDPs in the Dibaga Stadium Extension camp. Income Generation DRC s livelihood activities are designed to promote both income-generation and social cohesion within communities. This is accomplished by linking the incomegeneration of different demographic groups who may experience tension due to local displacement dynamics and the resulting market effects. In 2016, DRC provided 321 beneficiaries with vocational training and professional skills training in Erbil, Dohuk and Baghdad, in addition to cash for work opportunities to 182 people in in Erbil and Dohuk. Furthermore, livelihood teams trained communities on the maintenance of cash for work projects sites in Kirkuk and provided 385 households with life skills training and cash for work in south/central Iraq. In addition, DRC supported the establishment of 15 businesses in Kasnazan, Erbil and provided business training and grants to 189 people in Zummar, Ninewa and Diyala. DRC also provided 44 small grants to local entrepreneurs for individual and cooperative businesses in Zummar, Ninewa. DRC s livelihood portfolio includes emergency interventions, such as unconditional cash distributions, shortterm income generation and social 29

30 cohesion projects, early recovery livelihood interventions that focus on improving market dynamics in displacement-affected communities and providing resources to job seekers. In 2016, DRC provided 3,905 vulnerable and extremely vulnerable host community households, previously and newly displaced IDP households, and conflict-affected households with emergency one-off unconditional cash assistance, two months of cash transfers, and three months of unconditional cash assistance and transfers in Baghdad, Najaf, Babyl, Ninewa, Anbar, Karbala, and Diyala. In south/central Iraq, DRC provided 1,641 extremely vulnerable newly and previously displaced households with two months of cash assistance through the CCI. In addition, DRC teams provided 2,876 new IDP households with emergency one-off cash assistance and provided 394 extremely vulnerable households in host communities and previously-displaced IDP households with three months of cash assistance through the CCI. Finally, through the Cash Consortium of Iraq (CCI), DRC provides one-off and multi-month unconditional cash assistance to vulnerable IDP and host community households across Iraq STRATEGIC FOCUS In 2017 DRC will continue to provide emergency assistance and early recovery opportunities to newly-displaced IDPs, protracted IDPs, returnees, host communities, and other displacement- and conflict-affected populations throughout the KRI and south/central Iraq. As the Mosul crisis develops and likely expands, DRC will adjust and scale-up its response as needed, to ensure that extremely vulnerable families have access to life-saving support and resources. As Iraqi forces push back against IS and retake territory in Ninewa governorate, DRC is exploring the option of opening an office near Mosul, to facilitate an effective and rapid response to humanitarian needs in and around the city. DRC will also continue to build its presence in newly-accessed areas, such as Tikrit and Zummar, while maintaining its investment and commitment to communities throughout the country. While displacement is still the predominant trend in Iraq, nearly one million families have already returned to their areas of origin, with many more expected to return as towns are re-taken. Returning households frequently encounter damaged or destroyed infrastructure; limited access to goods and services, and social tension. As more and more IDPs begin returning, DRC will in turn increase its focus on the needs of these returnees and their communities. These interventions will focus on a broad-based investment in economic recovery, community integration, conflict management and good governance. Concurrently, DRC also hopes to expand its early recovery portfolio as the immediate humanitarian crisis in Iraq subsides. 30

31 VOICES FROM THE FIELD Finding livelihoods in displacement Asma s story of displacement spans over ten years and two countries. She and her family of seven were displaced from their home in Ramadi, Iraq, to neighbouring Syria in 2006 as a result of an increase in violence after the 2003 Iraq war. Due to the outbreak of civil war in Syria, she and her family returned to Anbar, Iraq, where they once again were forced to flee this time from the Islamic State. Asma now lives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) where 78 percent of IDPs require livelihood support to meet their basic needs. Furthermore female-headed households are one of the most vulnerable segments of the displaced population. As the sole breadwinner of her family, Asma said she was searching for employment opportunities when she came across a brochure for the UNDP-DRC Job Seeker Support Centre in Kasnazan, close to Erbil. I knew what I wanted to do from the beginning and that I was the only person to support my family, she said. It was difficult going through the programme, but the staff welcomed me. After interviewing with counsellors at the job centre, Asma enrolled in the business incubation model programme. The programme identifies potential entrepreneurs in the community, helps them draft business proposals, provides matching grants, and it promotes social cohesion by partnering IDPs, refugees, and host communities to capitalize on their talents. Once she successfully completed the centre s mentorship programme, Asma established a business partnership with a member of her host community and received a grant to open a business. She now runs a restaurant where she prepares delicious Iraqi and Syrian specialties and earns an income that can support her family. I AM THE ONLY PERSON TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY Asma in her home-based kitchen which she opened with the help of DRC s livelihood grant in KRI. November Photo by: DRC 31

32 JORDAN IRBID AZRAQ AMMAN MAFRAQ AL KARAK TAFILEH MAAN 32

33 INTRODUCTION By the end of 2016, Jordan was hosting approximately 731,130 refugees, among them 656,675 Syrian refugees, 58,455 Iraqi refugees registered with the UNHCR and 16,000 Palestine refugees from Syria registered with UNRWA. UNHCR also estimates that there are over 10,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from other nationalities (mainly Yemeni and Sudanese). UNHCR also estimates that there are over 10,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from other nationalities. DRC has been active in Jordan since 2003 where it first responded to the Iraqi refugee crisis. DRC is engaged in a multi-sectorial response to the Syrian crisis in Jordan since 2013, providing emergency assistance, protection services, and livelihood support to displacement-affected communities in Amman, Karak, Tafileh, Ma an, Irbid, and Mafraq governorates as well as in the Azraq refugee camp. While some 83 per cent of all refugees have settled in host communities, particularly in the urban area of Amman and the northern governorates of Jordan, the remaining live in refugee camps. 75,000 REFUGESS STRANDED AT THE BERM Jordan has tightened its border policy in the last months of The western border has JORDAN HOSTS 731,130 REFUGEES beenclosed since May 2013 and more than 75,000 refugees, mostly women and children, are still stranded at the North - Eastern border in the so called berm (a transit corridor between Syria and Jordan) with no admission to the country. Following the 21 June 2016 attack in Ruqban, the Jordanian Government announced the closure of northern and northeastern borders, and classified as sealed military zone. Due to deteriorating security conditions, international organizations present at the berm have not been able to resume the delivery of humanitarian assistance in a permanent manner. The Government of Jordan (GoJ) is the primary duty bearer for refugees in the country, even if it is not signatory to 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocols. The GoJ refugee response is coordinated under the Ministry of Interior below which sits the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) that is responsible for approving all projects aiming to provide assistance to refugees in the country. The UNHCR carries out the coordination of relief efforts to refugees throughout Jordan. It is co-lead of all sectorial working groups and has setup tools such as the Vulnerability Assessment Framework and the Common Cash Facility in an effort to harmonise assistance in the country. 33

34 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Jordan s 2016 country strategy was driven by the need to adapt to the changed livelihood context following the March London conference which opened legal work opportunities for refugees. DRC thus focused its work on ensuring that basic protection principals were respected in view of the growing national and international pressure to deliver work permits to refugees. In addition, DRC adapted its referral, counselling and training services to include much needed support in linking refugees with potential new job opportunities also saw the opening of a second Sanad community centre in the neighbourhood of Nuzha in East Amman. DRC ran four community centres in Jordan in 2016 with a fifth centre planned to open in Mafraq in February activities delivering protection information provision, counselling, awareness sessions, protection monitoring and support for individuals facing documentation issues, need psychosocial support, referrals and cash assistance where appropriate. To ensure reaching the most vulnerable populations, DRC maintained and further developed its network with other INGOs, UN agencies, CBOs (Community Based Organisations) and other service providers in Jordan. Finally with the change in livelihood context in Jordan in 2016, DRC ensured strong linkages between its protection and livelihood programing advocating actively to ensure protection safeguards are in place for refugees entering the labour market. Through its community centres, DRC continues to provide much needed protection and livelihood services to both refugees and host communities with the overarching aim of improving social cohesion between these two communities. Through its centres in Amman, Karak, and Ma an, DRC has provided services to over 22,540 individuals in Finally 2016 saw DRC successfully complete its EU funded Tadmeen Women empowerment project and take the lead on a protection consortium funded by ECHO. Protection DRC Jordan worked to strengthen the protective environment in local communities, empowering beneficiaries from refugee and host communities to protect themselves and others, and to claim their rights. In 2016, DRC provided protection services to approximately 22,540 individuals through Income Generation Following the London Compact in February 2016, the potential for livelihoods programming expanded significantly as refugees were allowed to formally enter certain sectors in the labor market. Since then, livelihood programming for Syrian refugees in Jordan has been on the forefront of both 34

35 humanitarian and development agendas alike, though donor funding has been relatively slow to accommodate the new openings. Nonetheless, DRC was able to distribute home business grants to 127 individuals in Ma an and Karak. Post distribution findings indicate the grants which averaged 380 JOD - had a large positive impact on the financial security of households. The average gap between income and expenditure dropped significantly, from 116 JODs exceeding the income to 31 JODs. DRC has been operating in Azraq camp since February, 2016, focusing on skills development and livelihood activities. DRC opened the first Sanad Livelihood Centre in Azraq Village 6 in September, 2016 and planning to open the second one in the early months of Currently, DRC has over 150 beneficiaries engaged in livelihood activities; which include cash-for-work, skills development, productive income-generating activities and a market assessment. In preparation for durable solutions, DRC emphasizes the necessary link between skills development and self-reliance in its activities by ensuring all trainees are provided with income-generating opportunities upon successful completion of an advanced skills development course. In compliment to the development of technical skills, graduates engaged in livelihood activities with DRC are provided with access to a wide arrange of soft skills trainings including financial literacy, business management, and communication techniques. Current skills trainings available at Sanad Livelihood Centre include advanced sewing and tailoring, gardening, shoe repair, painting and camp beautification, and electrical maintenance. In the upcoming year, DRC will also provide day care services for all individuals engaged in a livelihood activity to increase the participation of female refugees. DRC launched an advanced tailoring course for camp residents in order to supply much needed clothing to the camp market. Students successfully produced high quality materials where UNICEF requested DRC students make school uniforms for children in the camp. DRC is also exploring options to access markets outside the camp in order to make livelihood activities sustainable. Finally, DRC also became the first INGO to successfully sponsor the work permits of two Syrian refugee employees. This was done despite INGOs officially being considered a closed occupation, highlight discrepancies in government policy and practice. In addition, DRC became the co-chair of two strategic coordination fora: Both the UNHCR Livelihoods Working Group and the JIF Livelihoods Working Group. B 35

36 2017 STRATEGIC FOCUS DRC s country strategy in Jordan aspires to deliver high quality, contextually driven programming responding across the continuum of needs of displacement affected individuals and communities. In 2017, DRC Jordan s priority will focus on protection services and livelihood opportunities in addition to leading and remaining active in coordination fora to advocate for the rights of refugees. By maintaining a leading role in the humanitarian community and in developing agile, protection focused and locally-driven programming, DRC will remain a partner and advocate of choice in Jordan. Through interventions in camp and host community settings and working both directly and through local institutions, DRC Jordan aims to ensure that its beneficiaries are active participants in programming their own activities and communities. In developing and deepening its strategic partnerships with private sector actors, government ministries and local civil society actors, DRC aims to progressively link its gapfilling assistance will longer term recovery and economic development initiatives that will serve the resilience objectives of Jordan and its displaced populations. VOICES FROM THE FIELD Helping people get back to work Mohammad believes his talent is the only thing he could rely on after being forced to flee his home in Syria. The 30-year-old fled to Jordan in early 2012 after it became too dangerous for him and his family to stay in their home-town. In the beginning, Mohammad and his wife were planning to fly to Lebanon to re-unite with his wife s family, who had fled to Beirut city in Lebanon. However, they decided to go to Jordan, and for the first two years, they lived in Al-Ramtha, a governorate located in the north of Jordan, some five km away from the Syrian border. The only reason that encouraged me to leave Syria was my family, I did not want them to live in fear, he says. The lifestyle and routine the family had in Al- Ramtha town was comfortable; everything was going according to plan, until one day, our life was completely changed, says Mohammad. Similar to many of the more than 656,000 Syrian refugees registered in Jordan, the couple did not have possession of their civil and legal documents such as their birth and marriage certificates, and therefore, they were moved to the Azraq Refugee Camp. The 15 km2 stretch of land, which was opened in April 2014, is one of the two official camps hosting Syrian refugees in Jordan. It now houses over 53,000 Syrian refugees, where 58% of the inhabitants are children. Compared to their life back in Syria and their home in Al-Ramtha city, Mohammad explains how difficult it was to get used to living in a camp setting. The father of three fears for the future of his children, all three are under the age of six and 36

37 two were born in the camp; until now, the desert and the 6x4.5 metre white shelter is all they know. Mohammad tries to see things positively and feels that perhaps it is a good challenge for his children to be living under such circumstances so that they develop the courage to face any obstacle in the future. Back in Syria, Mohammad took advantage of his talent and was able to make a living as a freelance painter. He worked with one of his close friends, the best days were when we used to sit and work overnight, I cannot use the right words to describe how beautiful those days were, he explains, remembering the days back home. It was a happy day for Mohammad when he heard about the Danish Refugee Council s (DRC) need for artists at the Tarabot livelihood centre in the camp. He rushed to talk to the officers and see how he can participate in the project. Drawing gives me comfort, and I will do anything to keep drawing, he says. The centre provides livelihood activities such as advanced sewing and tailoring classes, gardening, shoe repair, painting and camp beautification projects, and electrical maintenance. DRC emphasizes the necessary link between skills development and selfreliance in its activities by ensuring all trainees are provided with income-generating opportunities upon successful completion of an advanced skills development course. The young man is currently working with DRC as a paid volunteer, leading a camp beautification campaign. DRAWING GIVES ME COMFORT, I WILL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP DRAWING Mohammad and his colleague paint a caravan at DRC s community centre in Azraq Refugee Camp. Photo by: Mais Salman 37

38 TURKEY KAHRAMANMARAS HATAY KILIS URFA 38

39 INTRODUCTION Turkey is host to the largest refugee population in the world with 2.81 million Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR as of December 22, 2016, of whom 2.4 million live outside established camps in out-of camp urban settings and over 270,000 refugees and/or asylum seekers from mainly Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Somalia. Currently, Syrian nationals, stateless persons and Palestinian Refugees from Syria are subject to a Temporary Protection (TP) Directive but remain as guests in country by virtue of Turkey s geographical limitation to the 1951 Refugee Convention. The increase in refugee populations in urban areas has contributed to making living conditions tougher, rents to rise and competition for jobs to surge, in some cases leading to tensions with host communities. DRC began operations in Turkey since 2013 with the aim to enhance the capacities and self-reliance of refugees and migrants with 2.81 MILLION REFUGEES REGISTERED a particular focus on Syrian refugees and the affected host community in south eastern Turkey. In 2016, DRC continued its operations in the south east provinces hosting the majority of Syrian refugees: Hatay, Sanliurfa, Kilis and opened a new operational base in Kahramanmaras. STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DRC Turkey adopts a comprehensive and integrative approach to strengthen the capacities of refugees, ensure social cohesion between Syrian refugees and affected host communities, and support the self-reliance of refugees through livelihood and protection programmes accompanied with basic needs assistance in four established field offices based in Şanlıurfa, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş and Kilis provinces. DRC opened the fourth field office in Kahramanmaraş in June 2016, and it is currently the only INGO in the province providing services for the refugees. DRC Turkey s protection strategy seeks to strengthen the protective environment of protracted-displacement affected and mixed migrant populations through an integrated protection approach including components of livelihood and social cohesion, through rights awareness, protection services, specialized protection support, basic needs assistance and support to refugee s livelihoods. In 2016, DRC launched two complementary programs in line with its overall protection strategy: Protection Monitoring and Mixed Migration. The Protection Monitoring programme aims to combine and analyse data through key informant interviews, focus 39

40 group discussions and household interviews to identify protection threats, gaps, trends and profiles at a country level to improve the protection response. In April 2016, DRC initiated its Turkey Mixed Migration programme through implementing partners in Izmir, Istanbul and surrounding areas. This programme component complements the protection strategy of DRC in the country through the provision of legal support to mixed migrants of all nationalities in detention as well as rights awareness for those at risk of detention. In addition, having set up a Mixed Migration research hub in Turkey in support with the Mix Migration Platform based in Amman, DRC produced research reports on general mixed migration issues as well as focused thematic research papers. In addition, DRC Turkey is also part of DRC s global Mixed Migration coordination cell (monthly coordination meetings) where research gaps and interests are identified. The partnership with local NGOs allows DRC Turkey to provide much needed detention visits and legal support to migrant detainees in several locations such as Izmir, Bodrum and Edirne, as well as in Istanbul and its surroundings. DRC ACTIVITIES REACHED 80,000 BENEFICIARIES IN TURKEY DURING 2016 Protection DRC Turkey implements its protection programme through various initiatives to support its beneficiaries. Through its community based protection teams, DRC disseminates information and provides awareness raising sessions in remote neighbourhoods and villages of the districts DRC operates in to complement the static institutions of the DRC including Community Centres and Multi-Functional Safe Space. In 2016, the community based protection teams operated in Kilis, Hatay, Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş and provided sessions to 25,680 people. Through its three community centres in Antakya, Altınözü and Kilis, DRC continued to offer services for beneficiaries and cumulatively 3,584 beneficiaries attended at least one activity offered in the community centres located in the Hatay province (Antakya and Altınözü), and in total attended 6,235 sessions including psychosocial/ recreational activities, life-skills activities and legal counselling. Kilis community centre received 2,562 registrations and offered 176 activities including recreational activities such music, photography, theatre, cooking, recycling sessions, life-skill activities include English, Arabic, Turkish, hairdressing and computer support sessions. DRC also offered the Special Needs Fund (SNF) designated to provide specifically tailored one-off assistance for the most vulnerable Syrian refugee households or individuals whose needs and vulnerabilities cannot be addressed through other mechanisms or projects. During 2016, the SNF teams operated in four locations and assisted 2,151 cases and reached 15,931 individuals On the other hand, launched in Urfa, the Gender Based Violence (GBV) team provided various awareness raising sessions including 40

41 early and child marriage, domestic violence and antenatal care as well as providing individual counselling sessions for GBV survivors. skills, vocational and professional training and through supporting potential entrepreneurship with home-based grants and small-business grants and trainings. The Livelihood programme operates through two livelihood centres in Şanlıurfa and Hatay, and in Kilis through a livelihood centre incorporated in a community centre structure. In 2016, DRC provided transferrable skills and life-skills counselling to 10,494 individuals, and vocational and professional training to 1,263 individuals. DRC teams also counselled 449 individuals for home-based and small business grants and 740 individuals on job placement. This project is planned to expand to other field offices to identify and assist GBV survivors, and prevent GBV-related incidents and raise awareness regarding these issues. In 2016, the GBV team provided 181 sessions (103 sessions in DRC MFSS and 78 in venues of local partners) to 3,778 individuals. In addition, 26 GBV survivors received individual counselling under this project. Under the protection programming, DRC also offers child friendly spaces operational in Urfa to provide safe spaces for children to play and learn different skills through various activities offered. DRC hosted approximately 277 children per month who attended activities at the centre and recorded 2,494 attendances in Viranşehir, Akçakale, Suruç, Urfa city and Harran. DRC also offers risk education to raise awareness of the risks and threats of mines and unexploded ordnances in areas where cross-border movements and returns were recorded since DRC risk education teams provided sessions where 9,069 individuals attended in 2016, where 71% of these participants were children under age of 12. Income Generation Livelihood programme of DRC Turkey intends to strengthen the resilience of refugees through provision of transferrable Non Food Items (NFIs) DRC Turkey distributed monthly, one-off and winterization assistance in Kilis to a total of 36,942 individuals assessed for these projects, where 4,415 households benefited from the assistance. In addition, DRC distributed winterization assistance in Maraş and reached 515 households and 3,046 individuals. DRC Turkey also provided NFI assistance to 1,563 families through a combination of e-card and in-kind assistance in Şanlıurfa province. This activity was originally intended to serve new arrival households, however, due to the lack of a new influx of refugees in 2016 following the crackdown on cross- 41

42 border movement, this population never materialized. Towards the end of the project period, the full funds for this activity were reprogrammed to serve households suffering from severe socioeconomic need, with an emphasis on the basic NFI for which this activity was originally envisioned. Mixed Migration The mixed migration programme of Turkey is built upon three main components: Legal Response, Research, and targeted Advocacy. DRC Turkey published three reports on Mixed Migration demonstrating movement trends of mixed migrants, the number of mixed migrants in need of legal assistance and new developments in Turkish context. In addition, the mixed migration programme also partners with local NGOs for provision of legal assistance to the detainees, and ensuring that lawyers and bar associations closely working with the mixed migrant cases are wellinformed through awareness raising sessions. Multeci-Der, the local partner of Mixed Migration programme, operates in hot crossing points in coastal areas of Izmir, Bodrum and Edirne (another significant crossing point) to provide legal aid and conduct detention visits for the detainees. In parallel to this, Refugee Rights Turkey, another local partner operating in Istanbul and its surroundings, provides legal counselling for those detained and conducts awareness raising session for other stakeholders including bar associations. In 2016, the local partners provided direct legal support and rights counselling to 976 individuals. Among them, 264 received direct legal counselling in the detention centres. In addition to this, 961 individuals participated in awareness raising sessions provided for other stakeholders STRATEGIC FOCUS DRC Strategy in 2017 will focus on the first two platforms of DRC 2020 Strategy, essentially (1) providing humanitarian assistance to newcomers, migrants and extremely vulnerable individual cases and (2) increasing socio-economic selfreliance of displaced populations through integrated protection, livelihood and strategic partnership and contributing to understanding migration trends and addressing protection needs. These strategic priorities will focus on preserving beneficiaries access to rights and life-saving services in an integrated and principled manner while also working towards fostering transition into durable solutions given the protracted situation of displacement. To do so, DRC will develop a programmes strategy focusing in partnership and capacity building of national humanitarian actors. By expending partnership with Turkish organisations and local authorities and working in close collaboration with stakeholders, DRC will consolidate its programming in order to provide better services more beneficiaries and ensure durable solutions. 42

43 VOICES FROM THE FIELD When passion turns into a fulltime job When Layla got married, she had to close her shop and move to another city with her new husband. However, she was not happy and wanted much more in her life. Eight years ago, the Turkish woman divorced her husband in search for a better life for herself and her two children. She had two goals: she wanted to make clothes, and give her children what she never had; an education. The 49-year-old woman made a plan. She moved to Antakya, the seat of the Hatay province in southern Turkey, rented an apartment, sent her children to school using the savings she had, bought a sewing machine, and began altering and making clothes from home. However, Layla had bigger dreams. She wanted to own a big tailoring workshop. After hearing about the Danish Refugee Council s livelihood project, she submitted an application to receive a grant for home-based businesses. Layla was successful and received the grant, she rented a space, bought sewing machines and cloth, and partnered with a clothes shop in the city. She now makes clothes for the shop, and takes orders for altering clothes from people in the neighbourhood. I was able to make my dream come true. I know I can give my children a better life, says Layla, hoping to buy more sewing machines, mannequins to display her work, and hire someone to help her with the orders. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MY DREAM COME TRUE. I KNOW I CAN GIVE MY CHILDREN A BETTER LIFE Layla works in her workshop in Hatay, Turkey. December Photo by: Dara Al-Masri 43

44 TUNISIA AND LIBYA TUNIS BEN GUERDANE DEHIBA TRIPOLI UBARI BRAK SHATI SABHA GHAT MIRZUK 44

45 INTRODUCTION Events since the 2011 Libyan civil war have conspired to divide the country between two competing legislatures, split state institutions and fragmented the nation. The proliferation of armed groups and weapons has resulted in a patchwork of patronage based security arrangements and constantly shifting zones of influence. Insecurity in Libya has resulted in significant internal displacement. At the peak of hostilities in 2016, nearly half a million Libyans were displaced from their homes, many of them having experienced multiple instances of displacement. Host communities absorbed the bulk of the internally displaced, however, as the situation became more protracted, their resources and basic services have become scarce and overstretched. While the majority of IDPs in Libya live in private accommodation settings, they are disproportionately affected by the issues that Libya is facing, including cash shortages as a result of the country s liquidity constraints, shortages of essential staples in the market, frequent cuts to power and telecommunication networks, and irregular access to medical services and livelihood opportunities. The complex mixed migration flows in Libya comprise an estimated one million individuals from Sub-Saharan, North African and Middle- Eastern countries. In Libya, police, militias, smugglers, traffickers, criminal gangs, and civilians detain irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees with impunity, use them to extort money or force them into unpaid labour. They are at risk of being killed, detained in inhumane conditions, tortured, abducted for ransom, physically assaulted, robbed and exploited. In 2016, an estimated 6,000 irregular migrants and refugees were held in at least 31 official detention centres. Refugees and irregular migrants are also subject to deportations and the risk of 500,000 LIBYANS WERE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES IN 2016 refoulement is a consistent threat. Forced deportation is also sporadically carried out through Libya s southern border with Niger. DRC Libya continues to remotely manage its Libya response from Tunisia, undertaking the first monitoring mission in Libya, since 2014, in August In 2016, DRC Libya s programme focused on Emergency Response and provided assistance to 57,182 conflict-affected IDPs, host communities, refugees and irregular migrants. DRC s programmes include protection; non-food items (NFI) and cash assistance; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH); and capacity building of local authorities, duty bearers and local civil society organisations. In addition, DRC placed considerable emphasis on research and learning to enhance the evidence base and inform future humanitarian programming and policy in Libya. 45

46 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS In 2016, DRC s strategic approach was driven by the increasing humanitarian needs resulting from protracted displacement, insecurity, wider economic deterioration and the country s liquidity crisis. In addition, the approach was shaped by the significant protection needs associated with mixed migration flows through Libya and the central Mediterranean route. DRC s IDP response was implemented in partnership with a national NGO, STACO, and is located in five districts of Southern Libya, Sabha, Ubari, Murzuq, Brak Shati and Ghat. DRC is a leading protection agency in Libya, providing direct assistance to irregular migrants and refugees, and training for relevant duty bearers. In addition, DRC advocates for evidence-based and contextually relevant policies and approaches to the challenges of mixed migration in Libya. This includes a strategic engagement with national and international actors to promote rights-based, transparent and accountable migration management policies and practices. In collaboration with international and national partners, DRC also leads on efforts to develop alternatives to detention in Libya. In 2016, DRC Libya chaired the international NGO coordination forum, co-chaired the cash and markets coordination group and the WASH working group, as well as participating in both the protection working group and the mixed migration working group. DRC s engagement is premised on a concerted effort to raise standards and enhance the quality and coherence of coordination within relevant sectors and across the international response in Libya, more broadly. Protection DRC s protection interventions include collecting data and information about protection needs, providing direct assistance, referring cases to relevant service providers and embassies, and capacity-building of local actors. During 2016, DRC conducted protection monitoring through both a dedicated protection team and irregular migrants residing in urban communities trained as community mobilisers. DRC s protection field team conducted regular monitoring visits in six detention centers in the wider Tripolitania area, whilst a local partner, Almotawasset for Migration and Charity, maintained presence in four detention centres west of Tripoli, inaccessible to international organisations due to insecurity. During monitoring visits, the team interviewed detainees, established immediate needs, identified those most vulnerable for referral to Embassies and relevant service providers, and provided direct assistance, legal counselling and advice. During 2016, DRC provided 3,031 refugees and irregular migrants with referrals to relevant service providers, including 1,710 referrals submitted to embassies or consular representatives. DRC also provided referrals to relevant service providers for 162 IDPs in Southern Libya and conducted information dissemination sessions providing legal advice for 4,197 individuals. DRC also provided phone call access to 1,941 mixed migrants in selected distribution centres for family reunification, and distributed 5,084 NFI kits to vulnerable men, women and new-born babies in detention and those residing in urban areas. NFI kits were also distributed to 900 IDP families in Southern Libya, benefitting an estimated 5,400 individuals. Through the use of DRC s own funds, DRC also identified and provided humanitarian assistance to 4,550 Syrian refugees in the wider Tripolitania region of Libya. In addition, 46

47 127 police officials working in detention centres were trained and attended sessions on a comparative approach between Islam & Asylum, practical steps for working in detention centres, and detention centre monitoring and referral mechanisms. Due to the confidence DRC has in cash as a process, but also due to the myriad of challenges posed by the Libyan context, DRC conducted a learning review. By applying an adaptive management theory into the structure of the cash programme design, DRC is aiming to build its new iteration of cash programming on evidence generated from implementation during Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) In 2016, DRC co-chaired the Tunis-based WASH working group with UNICEF. DRC also undertook a WASH project in the southern cities of Sabha and Ubari, in collaboration with UNICEF and local implementing partner, STACO. Cash Assistance In 2016, DRC co-chaired the Tunis-based cash and markets coordination group and was a key actor in contributing to learning and strengthening the evidence base for cash in Libya. Supported by cash transfer expertise seconded from NORCAP/CASHCAP, DRC implemented a multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) project in southern Libya, funded by ECHO and implemented through a local partner, STACO. Distributions were made across five cities Sabha, Ubari, Murzuq, Ghat and Brak Shati to 1,500 IDP households, benefitting an estimated 9000 individuals. Sabha and Ubari in South Libya are host to several thousand IDPs, including those displaced by conflict in 2014 and a new influx from 2016, as many Libyans fled the fighting in the coastal city of Sirte. The majority of the IDPs currently residing in the Sabha region struggle to access basic services particularly potable water and health. With public services already under strain, the new additional pressure caused by the arrival of IDPs further constrained access to basic services. An area of particular concern was the wastewater network within the city, a lack of maintenance led to frequent spillages of black water (as it is described locally) onto the streets. Such spillages pose a potential public health risk. The project contributed to the renovation of the Sabha sanitation network by installing manhole covers and cleaning key drainage junctions. The outcome of which was a reduction of black water in the streets. Areas were targeted where it was known IDPs were living so as to benefit both IDP and host communities. In addition to this engineering work, hygiene promotion activities were also undertaken in local schools. In Sabha 7,176 individuals benefited from the distribution of 2,500 NFI kits to IDP families. 47

48 2017 STRATEGIC FOCUS In 2017, DRC will continue to provide emergency assistance and early recovery opportunities to newly displaced IDPs, protracted IDPs, returnees, host communities, and other displacement and conflict-affected populations throughout Libya. DRC will lead on an ECHO-funded International NGO consortium, which will combine protection monitoring, CASH assistance and a Rapid Response Mechanism, in collaboration with all relevant national and international actors in Libya. DRC will also retain a significant focus on the humanitarian and protection challenges and needs faced by non-libyans residing and transiting in Libya within mixed migratory flows. Domestic and International attention and resourcing for the challenges posed by migration will remain throughout DRC will lead on a European Union funded International NGO consortium providing wider geographic and sectorial collaboration in response to the needs and challenges of migration in Libya. The Consortium will combine the delivery of direct assistance to irregular migrants in detention and urban areas, data collection and analysis, research and evidence-based advocacy. VOICES FROM THE FIELD In search for stability Hassan is a 29-year-old Somali who lives in an urban community in Tripoli, Libya, alongside 15 other irregular migrants from the Horn of Africa. Hassan used to live and work for two years in Sudan in order to provide for his wife and three children before deciding to travel to Europe in search for work. With the assistance of traffickers, Hassan crossed the border separating Sudan and Libya and travelled to the South Eastern city of Al-Kufra, before travelling over 1,000 km across the Libyan Desert to the South Western town of Sabha. Hassan stayed for a week in Sabha before identifying a smuggler who agreed to take him to Tripoli for a fee of US$1,000. Unfortunately, instead of transporting Hassan to Tripoli, the smugglers took him to the Northern town of Bani Walid where he was detained and informed that he would not be released until he transferred an additional US$2,000. Hassan was detained for two months during which he was poorly fed, regularly subjected to violence and torture, his hand was broken and he remains physically scarred and psychologically traumatized. Eventually, Hassan managed to contact his wife in Somalia who secured the funds from their extended family to pay for his release. Hassan was released after the money was transferred to his captors. The young man was free but had no money and no belongings after his captors burned them before he was transferred to Tripoli. In order to provide a better life for his family, Hassan had wanted to travel to Europe but is now reconsidering after the experience he had in Libya. Hassan informed DRC staff in Libya that he wanted to heal, and find a job so as to return the money his wife borrowed. When asked whether he would still go to Europe, despite the perils of crossing the Mediterranean, he answered with a smile: I have to, I have no other choice, and I wish I can stay in Libya, but for now, I think Europe is better. 48

49 IDPs and irregular migrants in Libya listen to information given by a DRC staff member. Photo by: DRC 49

50 ALGERIA TINDOUF 50

51 INTRODUCTION The Sahrawi refugee situation is one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world. Refugees from Western Sahara have been living in camps near Tindouf in southwest Algeria since The Government of Algeria recognized them as prima facie refugees, and has been hosting them in five camps, enabling access to public services, and providing infrastructure such as roads and electricity. In 1986, the host government requested the United Nations to assist Sahrawi refugees until a durable solution was found. Humanitarian assistance provided by UN agencies, international and national NGOs is based on a population planning figure of 90,000 vulnerable Sahrawi refugees. An additional 35,000 food rations are provided to persons with poor nutritional status. Pending a political solution, and due to the harsh conditions and remote location of the five refugee camps, the refugee population remains extremely vulnerable and entirely dependent on international assistance for their basic needs and survival. Due to the protracted situation of Sahrawi refugees and emergence of other large-scale humanitarian emergencies, funding levels have greatly decreased in recent years but humanitarian needs remain as pressing as ever. Lack of funding has severely affected the delivery of life-saving assistance to Sahrawi refugees by all organisations operating in the camps. 90,000 SAHRAWI REFUGEES HAVE BEEN LIVING IN CAMPS NEAR TINDOUF SINCE 1975 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DRC s mission in Algeria was established in April 2016, in response to a request from UNHCR to establish Livelihoods projects in the Saharawi refugee camps. In 2016, in addition to establishing an office, recruiting and training a highly motivated team, DRC was successful in establishing a significant degree of acceptance within the camp communities and with the Saharawi authorities. 51

52 Income Generation DRC subsequently designed its Livelihoods programmes with a specific focus on youth. DRC s support includes grants to establish new enterprises and to expand or improve existing enterprises, in collaboration with the Saharawi Ministry of Youth. The livelihoods activities are expected to improve the lives of Saharawi youth, provide opportunities to better sustain themselves, enhance community resilience and increase the number of services offered in the camps. In 2016, DRC provided training and direct assistance to support youth livelihoods and income-generating activities. The intervention was designed in collaboration with the beneficiaries and the Saharawi Ministry of Youth, based on a comprehensive livelihoods and market assessment undertaken by DRC, and influenced by DRC s experience in improving livelihood opportunities in protracted displacements and in camp settings around the world. for 423 Sahrawi youth, and supported 31 business projects, targeting a total of 109 beneficiaries, based on their business proposals, financial feasibility and potential growth in the markets. These activities are followed up with in-depth monitoring and coaching of these recently established businesses, in order to ensure they become both fully operational and sustainable. Simultaneously, DRC has established positive relations with major Sahrawi stakeholders - Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Public Function, and Sahrawi Red Crescent. In addition, DRC completed the rehabilitation of six minor infrastructure initiatives through Quick Impact Projects, provided business management and employability skills training 2017 STRATEGIC FOCUS DRC will continue to develop it livelihoods programming in the refugee camps. Best practice and lessons learnt from this programming will be used for advocacy, fundraising, and scaling up successful activities in the future. DRC will seek to diversify and broaden the funding base, including an anticipated contribution from DRC s own funds, in order to increase the scale and impact of DRC s work in the camps. In addition, DRC is undertaking a comprehensive feasibility assessment to identify strategic entry points to enhance livelihoods programming that engages with the Saharawi nomadic pastoralist traditions and practices outside of the five refugee camps. This includes a second phase of the market assessment conducted in 2016, which will enhance the knowledge base on the interaction of the markets within the Saharawi camps with local, regional and international markets. 52

53 A Sahrawi boy in a camp near Tindouf, Algeria Photo by: DRC 53

54 CONSORTIA DURABLE SOLUTIONS PLATFORM FOR DISPLACED SYRIANS Introduction The Durable Solutions Platform was established in November 2016 as a joint initiative of DRC, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The platform aims to act as a catalyst to stimulate forward thinking and policy development on durable solutions for displaced Syrians. The platform s research will assist NGOs in setting joint programmatic and advocacy principles, mechanisms and strategies. The Durable Solutions Platform is funded through the European Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) until March Strategic approach and key achievements in November 2016, it has conducted a pilot study of the ReDDS Durable Solutions Framework in three areas in Syria. A study has also been completed exploring early returns of Syrian refugees and IDPs to their home area. The platform has further completed roundtable discussions with Syrian civil society in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey Strategic approach In 2017, the Platform will develop two follow up studies on Syrian returnees, a study on safe zones and political drivers for forced return in Syria s neighboring countries and an assessment of IDP integration in two Syrian regions. Further, trainings on durable solutions will be developed for Syrian civil society. The Solutions Platform conducts research on key issues around durable solutions in the MENA region. Since its establishment MIXED MIGRATION PLATFORM Introduction The Mixed Migration Platform (MMP) is a joint-ngo initiative providing quality mixed migration-related information for policy, programming and advocacy work, as well as critical information for people on the move. Consisting of seven partners, the platform is led and hosted by DRC which provides coordination, policy support and communications to the consortium. DRC, ACAPS, INTERSOS, Ground Truth Solutions, and REACH are responsible for information management, whereas Translators without Borders and Internews are responsible for information exchange and translation for people on the move. 54

55 All partners engage in advocacy. MMP activities and research are centred on irregular migration to, from and within the Middle East, including Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, with Europe and CASWA as a secondary focus. The platform is funded by DFID and FDFA. Strategic approach and key achievements The Mixed Migration Platform Initiative aims to promote research, data sharing and information management on mixed migration, actively inform policy relevant to mixed migration, highlight regional patterns and trends, provide a hub for, and disseminate information on mixed migration to, from and within the Middle East, as well as provide quality information to people on the move to enable informed decision making. MMP s partners as well as its team of dedicated analysts seconded by partner organisations produce regular research/ information products. Products include, but are not limited to monthly summaries of mixed migration in the Middle East, monthly briefing papers on mixed migration issues, perception studies and reports about people on the move, rapid assessments of issues relevant to mixed migration, scenario building workshops, weekly rumour tracking reports, and large independent research projects. MMP s work is organised around three pillars: research and information management, information exchange, and policy and advocacy. Its key stakeholders include humanitarian actors, governments and policy makers, people on the move, and the general public. MMP activities began in late 2016 with the assembly of the Joint Analysis Unit and Research Coordinator in Amman. MMP released its first branded Monthly Summary and published its first briefing paper, Women and girls on the move: A gender analysis of mixed migration from the Middle East to Europe, in December. The platform also hosted a launch event and its first Steering Committee Meeting in the same month Strategic approach The bulk of MMP s activities will occur in 2017 with the implementation of two large research projects led by DRC and INTERSOS, two scenario building events led by ACAPS, and the publication of four rapid assessments led by REACH. The focus of these initiatives will include age assessments of unaccompanied minors, indebtedness and finances of refugees and other migrants in Serbia, scenario planning for the EU- Turkey Agreement, and rapid assessments of separated families in the Middle East, the Yemeni community in Jordan, and Afghan returnees from Europe. MMP will continue to identify and address knowledge gaps in mixed migration issues, while increasing its engagement in advocacy and policy dialogues, as well as media outreach. LEADERS CONSORTIUM Introduction LEADERS is built by six agencies actively involved in livelihoods issues and alternatives to cash assistance in Jordan and Lebanon, namely - DRC, Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE, ACTED, Makhzoumi Foundation working across four municipalities in Jordan and five cadastres in Lebanon. The consortium was formed prior to the London conference in 2014 when the programmatic space for engaging Syrian 55

56 refugees in livelihoods activities was extremely limited and action-research was nearly non-existent in the field. In response, LEADERS built in a strong research and evidenced-based advocacy component into the Consortium projects starting from the ground up. Furthermore, LEADERS identified two priority approaches to address hardships faced by hosting and displaced populations in Jordan and Lebanon. These include: 1. Improving access to sustainable livelihoods opportunities - achieved by strengthening the employability of vulnerable individuals, linking them with placement opportunities, accelerating growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and engaging in multi-level advocacy efforts to promote refugee s right to work, and 2. Supporting improved local economic development and service delivery in communities hosting refugees achieved through LEADERS helping build the capacity of local stakeholders (community members, business leaders, local government, etc.) to plan, direct and implement development priorities that support local investment and business stimulation. Strategic approach and key achievements LEADERS projects represent a paradigm innovation in that they have created a comprehensive and interlinked set of services and supported short and long-term efforts to strengthen the enabling environment for livelihoods. The partnership itself is a process innovation as the consortium members came together to discover a way to meet a pressing need that did not have a clear solution or institutional support and subsequently found a way to deliver the needed services. Furthermore some key good practices include: Cost-effective: While the coordination function for LEADERS can be complex and expensive, overall cost is reduced by housing a complex set of inter-related interventions under the same management structure, reducing the need for duplicating management and coordination costs. Collective resilience-based action: LEADERS project activities aim to instill inclusive, locally owned decision-making processes that use local resources and assets and reduce dependency on external assistance. By enhancing the role of the community in crucial decision-making processes, the projects seek to empower local populations and build community resilience. Evidence Based Programming: LEADERS project activities are grounded in research and are market driven, resulting in enhanced sustainability of interventions. For instance, the skills gap analysis conducted at the start of informs the selection of vocational training, curricula to be developed and labor market placement of trainees. This provides a structured pathway for project beneficiaries, as the trainings provided are determined by the needs of the labor market, making it easier for the beneficiaries to fill a gap and find gainful employment in the future. Tailored Solutions: LEADERS provides customized solutions to each beneficiary based on a mix of their existing skills, competencies and current labor market needs. For instance, a beneficiary may be better suited to receiving vocational training, while another may have the necessary pre-requisites for job referral. Advocacy as an overarching and underpinning theme: LEADERS integrates advocacy on key livelihood issues in all components of the projects, supporting connections between stakeholders at various levels through dialogue (round tables, campaigns) and influencing national government policy. The project activities on the ground feed into the advocacy strategy 56

57 providing the evidence base needed to make the key issues being advocated for into a living document. In terms of successes in 2016/early 2017, LEADERS completed the skills gap analysis in Lebanon and the business development services market assessment in Jordan and Lebanon, initiated vocational, life and soft skills trainings in Jordan and Lebanon, maintained almost 70% of apprentices in Jordan, initiated business development services training for medium, micro and small enterprises in Jordan and Lebanon, and completed the local economic development component which involved working with communities across the target areas to prioritize their needs for their economic future Strategic approach The consortium will continue implementing its current projects in the coming months. There are plans to further diversify the donor portfolio, deepen geographical impact and expand the portfolio of activities based on successes, further bringing in innovation and good practices. A man trains in a mechanics workshop under LEADERS in Ba albek, Lebanon Photo by: Mais Salman 57

58 DDG INTRODUCTION Danish Demining Group (DDG) is a Humanitarian Mine Action and Armed Violence Reduction Unit within DRC, operating in many of the most fragile and conflict-affected places in the world. Our mission is to create a safe environment where people can live free from armed violence and remnants of conflict. DDG believes that a range of fundamental rights depend on the establishment of safety and security for communities in fragile contexts. DDG addresses this mission by tackling issues related to the supply and demand of weapons that fuel violence and by reducing the impact of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), including reducing risk-taking behaviour in hazardous areas and the removal of ERW and mines. DDG works with and for communities facing security dilemmas, with security providers, and with other security stakeholders. DDG maximizes impact by promoting integrated solutions within the rest of DRC s overall program portfolio. MENA, as a long-term conflict affected region, is widely affected by the use of landmines and other ERWs. Building on the premise that peace and security cannot be established for local communities ravaged by war until the impact of mines and ERW has been removed, DDG was established in Iraq in 2003 and subsequently started operating in Libya, Tunisia, Syria and Turkey. DDG MENA s focus on people s right to safety and security situates DDG s work very much within the context of international humanitarian law. It re-affirms the rights of innocent civilian populations around the world to peace and security and to assistance from the international community to re-build their lives if they have been victimized by conflict. An explosive remnant of war in Kemyawi compex in Iraq Photo by: DDG 58

59 The main area of focus for DDG in the MENA are to: Promote safe areas, those affected by displacement, and access to livelihoods and infrastructure by provision of qualified Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) interventions and small arms light weapons (SALW) awareness and management. Engage in continued research on conflict patterns in the MENA region, including through conflict and armed violence mapping tools and use evidence to inform and develop programmes on conflict mitigation, prevention, and mediation. Build the capacities of local, regional and national actors addressing HMA and Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) in the region. DDG OPERATIONS Mine Risk Education DDG provides education activities that encourage safe behaviour around mines, ERW and SALW. Risk education is a process intended to reduce casualties by modifying behaviour of individuals in communities living in the presence of explosive hazards. DDG uses various media to reach affected communities and communicate knowledge that enables them to take responsibility for reducing risks to a level where they are able to live safely in spite of those hazards. DDG also delivers risk education for humanitarian actors to promote safe behaviour in conflict zones. Non-Technical/Technical Survey As part of the process of clearing a piece of land, DDG conducts comprehensive surveys of suspected mine fields to collect and analyse data about the presence, type, distribution, and surrounding environment of mine/erw contamination. This enables DDG to define better where - or not - mine/ ERW contamination is present and to support land release prioritisation and decision making processes through the provision of evidence. Where surveys indicate that mine contamination is present and has a direct impact on the population, mine clearance is carried out to remove the contamination, or the suspicion of it, to specified international standards. Clearance is undertaken if any reasonable doubt persists that the safety of communities (or aid workers) could be at risk. Battle Area Clearance (BAC) For areas that have been the site of armed confrontation but where no land mines are suspected, there often remain large areas that are contaminated by unexploded ordnance that needs to be cleared. These pose physical risks to communities in proximity and heighten risks to aid workers, since injuries 59

60 can occur when people who want to make use of land move or tamper with explosive items. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) When the ERW contamination is scattered and not found within defined areas, it is more efficient to establish mobile EOD teams to react to reports by the community onitems of ERW found in their area, instead of widespread search/clearance. The activities of the EOD teams are linked to other work undertaken by risk education and community safety teams, as these are common means by which ERW items are reported. EOD teams do not release large areas by clearance but their work is critical as they provide a rapid response to remove explosive hazards that directly threaten communities, and thus reduce the loss of life and risk of serious injury from explosions. Weapons & Ammunition Management (WAM) Safe weapons storage practices help to decrease the number of armed violence incidents. DDG provides support to security providers to construct secure storage sites at safe distances from the population, as well as to put in place sustainable management procedures that ensure the safe handling, transportation, and storage of weapons, thereby preventing accidental explosions that can cause large numbers of casualties. Conflict Management Education DDG supports local conflict resolution efforts to end local and interpersonal conflicts before they erupt into violence, using a comprehensive Conflict Management Education toolkit. The education helps people identify and relieve tension, isolate key factors in conflict and employ successful mediation techniques. Conflict Analysis (CA) Conflict Analysis constitutes the foundation of DDG s conflict sensitive approach, and is thus a cornerstone of our work. DDG examines how people in target communities can become agents of violence by identifying the root causes of conflict, and finding community-based solutions to help end cycles of violence. Community Security Provider Dialogue and Cooperation (CSPDC) DDG facilitates regular dialogue forums on community safety-related issues to support collaboration between communities and security providers. The dialogue process enables information sharing, builds mutual understanding, trust, consensus on shared interests, and fosters cooperation in response to insecurity. Community Safety (CS) Community Safety relies on inclusive community based planning methods and activities designed to help identify and prioritise security challenges, and promote local ownership and management of safety concerns. DDG facilitates participatory planning workshops incorporating age and gender considerations and the participation of key community safety stakeholders. Community safety groups/committees are formed in order to develop a framework in alignment government strategies and resources for addressing local security needs through collective action and dialogue with local authorities that limit the need for individual recourse to violence. 60

61 STRATEGIC APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DDG adopts a community based approach to its interventions and actively supports the national mine action authorities and organisations through comprehensive capacity building programs. Due to the security situation in many of the countries in the region, DDG has identified a number of implementation modalities to manage the risk, ranging from direct implementation and management in conditions of relative security to delegated management by a local community based organisation (CBO) as an implementing partner: Direct implementation: when all of DDG s project and quality management processes can be applied, and where DDG has direct responsibility for the safe, efficient and timely implementation of activities. Remote management: in situations when DDG is responsible for the provision of services and/or activities but where, for security reasons, the ability of DDG to deploy its full project and quality management processes are limited. Capacity development: DDG support and build the capacity of national mine action authorities and local/national organisations/cbos. It includes activities whereby DDG is responsible for training the recipient organization. DDG collaborates and coordinates closely with DRC, with the aim to establish relevant and integrated shared projects and programs. During 2016, the integration of Risk Education and Community Based Protection has been explored in especially Turkey as a modality to strengthen the national protection framework and reach vulnerable individuals in the communities. For 2016, DDG had a total budget of approximately USD, indicating an increase of 20.7% from the previous year. This is mainly due to the geographical expansion in Iraq and Libya. In total, DDG MENA has provided Risk Education to 763,955 direct beneficiaries; Conflict Management Education to 166 individuals and Community Safety Workshops to 1,650 individuals. A total of 135,804,145 m2 have been cleared/released; 15 EOD spot tasks have been conducted and 14,422 explosive items destroyed. 61

62 DDG in Syria As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh year, the increase in explosive remnants of conflict (in urban and rural areas) continue to affect civilians, access to livelihoods, humanitarian access, and the safety of humanitarian actors. DDG has been present in Syria since 2013, providing Training of Trainers to school teachers in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and SARC. Together with UNICEF, UNMAS and other Humanitarian Mine Action organisations DDG has ensured that affected populations in the government held areas have access to correct information on the risks and threats of mines and ERW. DDG provides all teachers trained with an educational package to be used in the Risk Education (RE) sessions, developed specifically for the targeted age groups. During 2016, DDG trained 1,608 teachers who provided RE to a total of 557,345 students. the Iraqi army, supported by the military forces of Iraqi Kurdistan, and Islamic State (IS). Decades of warfare have left the country heavily contaminated by mines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). DDG has worked in Iraq for more than a decade, successfully providing Risk Education (RE) and performing Community Liaison (CL) in addition to Battle Area Clearance (BAC) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). DDG now operates relatively small operations in three district areas of Iraq; RE and mine-clearance in Kurdistan, RE in Anbar province in central Iraq and BAC, EOD and RE in Basra. DDG is accredited with the Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) and Ministry of Environment in Iraq and accredited with the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) in Kurdistan and all operations are operated in accordance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). DDG in Iraq Since the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, Iraq has been subject to a number of internal and external conflicts, and most recently the heavy fighting between DDG Iraq s strategy is to provide relevant humanitarian mine action assistance to the government of Iraq and the authorities in Kurdistan. DDG aims to adhere with the three programme platforms of the MENA Regional Strategic Programme Document. In terms of the first platform responding to emergency, DDG Iraq will deliver community-based IED/ERW Risk Education to internally displaced people 62

63 in the Tel Kaif district from the ongoing conflict in and around Mosul. In relation to the other two platforms solutions to displacement and addressing root causes to displacement, DDG aims to work with activities that support the safe return of displaced populations, such as clearance of contaminated land belonging to displaced populations and clearing legacy minefields in support of the Ottawa Convention. In 2016, DDG conducted 18,146,788M² BAC, provided RE to 179,077 beneficiaries and destroyed 14,092 explosive items. in This process will see civilians returning to their homes that have been the sight of battle and which are likely highly contaminated by ERW, making the need for DDGs Risk Education (RE) provision a pressing need in order to reduce casualties. DDG Turkey has 15 national and one expatriate member of staff divided into three teams conducting Risk Education for off camp Syrian refugees. DDG teams are spread across three locations in Urfa, Kilis, and Hatay. The teams have a monthly target in 2017 of 500 beneficiaries children, youth and adults per location or 1,500 per month for DDG Turkey. DDG in Libya DDG in Turkey Turkey has played a critical role in the Syrian crisis response and hosts over 2.7 million Syrian refugees, with over 85% living in offcamp environments. The South East Turkey border corridor stretching from Hatay to Sanliurfa (including Kilis) remains the most common land crossing point for persons fleeing Syria and is the focus of DDG work in Turkey. The creation of a buffer zone inside Syria by the Turkish army as part of Operation Euphrates Shield has seen the start of refugees returning to their homes. With approximately 7,700 returning to Jarablus by the end of October 2016 alone. The Turkish government plans to encourage Syrian refugees living in camps to relocate to the buffer zones once winter has ended More than five years after the fall of the former regime, Libya continues to suffer from the political turmoil and armed conflicts, which have affected nearly half of Libya s population and resulted in massive displacement of people. The conflicts also resulted in large amounts of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) that continue to pose a direct physical threat to Libyan communities, and hamper the return of internally displaced peoples. Over the past four years of working in Libya, DDG has gained extensive experience working with local authorities. DDG s overall programmatic approach in Libya is developing national capacities, with the aim of strengthening the national ownership of the Libyan Mine Action Programme. Since the beginning of 2014, DDG has developed a strategy of harnessing local capacities through a partnership with a local implementing partner, the Free Fields Foundation. Currently, and in collaboration with 3F, DDG is fully operational in Libya and conducts a number of humanitarian mine action activities, including risk education, non-technical survey and explosive ordnance disposal. 63

64 DDG s operations in Libya have been funded by a wide range of donors including the International/foreign assistance departments of the Governments of Sweden, the UK, the US, and the organizations of the EC, UNDP, and UNMAS. DDG in Tunisia Since the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia has made significant progress in democratic governance; however, genuine socioeconomic change remains limited. These challenges are particularly acute along Tunisia s border with Libya, which suffer from underdevelopment, high unemployment, and marginalization. As a result, local communities rely on cross-border trade with Libya as their primary livelihoods; however, security providers perceive communities as contributing to violent extremism, armed criminality, and illegal migration. DDG Tunisia, strives to address these tensions between communities and security providers through holistic violence prevention programming, engaging youth, traders, civil authorities, and security providers in the border communities of Ben Guerdane and Dhehiba. Currently, DDG is conducting preparatory activities that will contribute to the design and delivery of trainings on communication, conflict analysis, and dialogue skills. DDG will subsequently develop platforms for citizens and security providers to use these skills to promote transparency, build personal relationships, and discuss mutual security concerns. In parallel, DDG is actively engaging youth in a series of actor mapping workshops as well as a qualitative research study aimed at understanding their perceptions and experiences of risks and local opportunities for resilience. The resulting analysis will serve as the framework for a participatory process to design future programming initiatives to promote youth resilience Strategic approach The indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in the ongoing conflicts of the region in Iraq, Syria and Libya remains a major humanitarian protection issue with a high number of civilian casualties as well as high levels of mines, UXOs and improvised IEDs. Return is seriously hampered by the presence of ERW, landmines and/or IEDs left by the warring factions. Since 2014, the use of IED and ERWs in populated areas has increased with the rise of other non-state actors such as Islamic State (IS) and the Iraqi and Syrian government s concomitant military response. DDG MENA s regional response to the current conflicts and displacements in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey in 2017 falls within the overall global Vision 2020 of the organisation emphasising and promoting a holistic approach to the conflict and displacement affected problems of the region. DDG MENA will continue to focus on improved safety and access to livelihoods for affected communities in Syria, Iraq, and Libya through Risk Education (RE), Area Clearance (AC), Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Moreover, DDG MENA will maintain a strong focus on capacity building of local partners and local authorities, and of community-driven interventions throughout 2017 also exploring the mine action and armed violence reduction opportunities in Lebanon and Jordan. DDG will continue to develop and implement programs focusing on community safety and conflict management programming in a bid to stem radicalization and individual engagement in violent crime and political violence. 64

65 FACTS & FIGURES Who does the money go to? DRC Others 14% IDPS 23% Refugees 63% Others IDPS DDG 10% 34% 56% Refugees How was the money used: (DRC MENA) How was the money used: (DDG MENA) 65

66 WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? (DRC/DDG) CIDA 0.24% US PRM 8.3% OTHER 4.79% DFID 14.84% US WRA 2.25% GIZ 0.66% IOM 0.38% MFA CANADA 1.74% OCHA 2.89% OTHER NGOS 2.71% SDC 0.4% SIDA 1.63% UNDP 1% UNHCR 8.23% UNICEF 5.55% OUR DONORS DANIDA 6.41% EU DEVELOPMENT AID 2.12% ECHO 22.28% USAID 7.16% WFP 1.4% EU TRUST FUND 5.02% 66

67 CURRENT DRC/DDG MENA DONORS DRC/DDG REGIONAL OFFICE/ MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 14 Al Basra Street, Um Uthaina, Amman, Jordan comms@drc-mena.org