Brie ng #55 Update 15 February 2013

Syria Crisis: An Overview of the Humanitarian Situation

EU-level initiatives on TABLE OF CONTENTS

Humanitarian Situation Jordan Lebanon Iraq Turkey Syria SOLIDAR members’ approach

SOLIDAR-assistance in the Syrian crisis

Focal points SOLIDAR members

Responsible Editor: Conny Reuter Authors: Maurice Claassens

SOLIDAR is a European network of 59 NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR lobbies the EU and international institutions in three primary areas: social affairs, international cooperation and education.

Published in November 2012, updated 15 February 2013 © SOLIDAR

Acknowledgement

This handout document is based on the detailed analysis of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), with contributions from Movimiento por la Paz (MPDL) Spain, Solidaridad Internacional (SI) Spain, ARCI-ARCS Italy and SOLIDAR Switzerland. Included are also analysis of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Jordan Red Crescent. Do not hesitate to contact the national members’ focal points – included at the end – for more information about ongoing programs.

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 3

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

The conflict in Syria began on 15 March 2011 with public demonstrations as part of the wider Arab spring, and developed into a nationwide uprising, and then a full-scale civil war. Protesters have demanded the end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party Rule, as well as the resignation of the president Bashar Al Asad. Syrian government characterizes the insurgency as "armed terrorist groups". According to various sources, including the United Nations, more than 60,000 people have been killed so far, of which about half were civilians, and homes and infrastructure destroyed.A total of 5 million people – 1 in 4 Syrians – are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance both outside and inside the country.According to the UN, between 1.500,000 to 2.0 million Syrian have been displaced within the country.. To escape the violence, more than 700 000 Syrian refugees have fled the country to neigh-boring Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

1. Situation in Jordan:

Since the beginning of the unrest in Syria at the start of 2011, Jordan has received more Syrians fleeing the conflict than any neighboring country. From March 2011, according to Government of Jordan figures, almost 250,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan according to UNHCR. Jordan has left its borders open to Syrians and has a favorable protection climate which has supported the population movement.

The Government of Jordan estimates that250,000 Syrians have entered the kingdom, the vast majority residing in host communities. As thesituation in Syria persists, large numbers of Syrians continue to cross the Jordanian border seeking asylum.Syrians have scattered throughout Jordan, with the largest concentrations in the border areas of Irbid and Mafraq governates and the capital Amman, as well as in other governates throughout the country. With the intensification of the conflict from July 2012 onwards, there has been a surge in the number of refugees. While weekly arrivals has since August on average been more than 1000 per day. .Za’atari camp in Mafraq region accommodates the largest number of Syrain refugees in the country.

Syrian refugees in Jordan are facing many kinds of shortages in basic needs and rights. There is a quite stable and relatively large number of actors in Jordan that are working in improving refugees situation with a large experience providing services and goods, as they are running projects related to refugees since the flux of Iraqi refugees started in 2003. Nevertheless, the needs of Syrian refugees are far away from being completely covered. More specifically, the conditions of the non-registered by UNHCR refugees are especially critical, as they don´t have the right to be assisted by UN agencies and other institutions which require this condition to enter into their programs. The refugees in the camps that are registered by UNHCR face also difficult situation but, at least, they have support and a clear reference. In general, the refugees have insufficient information about rights and assistance providers, but, for sure, this situation becomes more serious in the case of non registered refugees.

2. Situation in Lebanon:

As of February, 2013, UNHCR reports that there are alomst 260 000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon.. Local organizations claim that the number of refugees in Lebanon is higher than that as a large number of them are either afraid to register with the UN or unaware of the registration process. The number of refugees coming to Lebanon is increasing and the conditions in which most of them are living are below standards. It is estimated that around half of all displaced Syrians are children and adolescents, who continue to face interruption of schooling, limited access to basic services, and psychosocial distress caused by witnessing violence and The Lebanese Government, after a long period of having a limited role in providing assistance to refugees, announced a national response plan for managing the situation of refugees from Syria. The Lebanese Government began fundraising for this plan as the national

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 4 resources cannot afford covering the expenses. However, up to this date, no activities have been implemented from this the plan. Lebanon is looking forward to Kuwait conference on the Syrian crisis in order to raise the necessary funds to implement the plan. So far, only the Norwegian government pledged an amount of 10 million USD for the implementation of the mentioned plan.

For the Syrian refugees, UNHCR and its partner organizations are providing multi-sectoral assistance to the registered refugees in the fields of health, shelter, food items and non-food items. UNHCR reported that they are trying to be as systematic as possible in their monthly distributions. UNHCR is not responsible for the Palestinian refugees coming from Syria as this is UNRWA’s mandate.An influx of Palestinians from Syria into Lebanon is another issue of high concern. According to UNRWA, around 17,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria have taken refuge in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The popular committees and the NGOs in the camp give higher estimates that reach 20000 Palestinians. The majority of these families are staying with host families inside the camps as they cannot afford independent housing. Others are being assisted in paying rent. They are entering Lebanon on a short- term visa which is causing them legal issues pertaining to residency. Delay in residency in Lebanon past the allowed duration is subjected to a daily fine. As most of these refugees have to stay in Lebanon more than the allowed duration, they are at risk of becoming illegal residents in Lebanon. . With the difficult situations the Palestinians in Lebanon are already facing, the presence of the Syrian refugees has negatively affected the situation of both groups.

For the Palestinian refugees from Syria, UNRWA is not capable of providing proper assistance to the refugees due to lack of funding. UNRWA launched an appeal for around 8.5 million USD for the assistance of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon but less than 1 million was provided. So far, UNRWA is providing primary health care to the refugees through its outpatient clinics yet it is short of medications. UNRWA is also conducting distributions of NFIs in some of the camps similar to other international and local organizations. Yet the offered support is not sufficient to cover the needs of the refugees especially with the increasing number of Palestinian refugees from Syria. UNRWA is currently establishing a database that will help in using the resources efficiently and prevent duplication..

3. Situation in Iraq:

About 85 000 refugees are registered by UNHCR inside Iraq per February, and the influx has been increasing. The major influx has been into Kurdistan region of Iraq with about 76 000 refugees. . During the last months there has been a drastic increase and now up to 1000 refugees coming on daily basis, mainly families. Border crossings between Kurdistan region and Kurdish areas in Syria are open, but controlled at the Syrian side by PYD, a Kurdish organisation related to PKK. Humanitarian aid are being allowed from Kurdistan region in Iraq into Syria in spite of the border crossing not officially allowing this.

The bulk of the refugees in Kurdistan region, about 35 000, are staying in Domiz camp in Duhuk region. Weather conditions in this area are particularly hash and the refugees are affected by much rain and snow which severely affects the health situation of the refugees.

Crossing into Iraq proper has for political reasons been restricted, The Al-Qaim brodercrossing only allows medical avacuations and family reunion cases. The Al-Qaim camp have approximately 9000 refugees.

Kurdish authorities as well as UN-agencies and NGOs are assisting the refugees and the work in the Kurdish region to provide resident permits for the refugees has been speeded up. Assistance from Iraqi authorities has been far more limited.

4. Situation in Turkey:

According to figures provided by the Turkish government there are in February registered 171,000 Syrian

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 5 refugees in Turkey. The camps of Syrian refugees in Turkey are mainly managed by Turkish authorities in cooperation with Turkish Red Cresent Society, and the role of UN and NGOs is limited.. Some humanitarian aid is being transported from Turkey into Syria, a number of INGOs and Syrian NGOs are operating out of Turkey into the opposition held territories in Northern Syria. The organisations are how ever not allowed to register in Turkey, but their presence is tolerated and partly facilitated.

5. Situation in Syria:1

After nearly two years of violence, 4 million people are in need of assistance, including more than 2 million internally displaced people. Syrians continue to be at the forefront of helping their fellow citizens, but resources are dwindling and community coping mechanisms collapsing. If the violence continues, these figures could rise considerably in the short term.

The plight of people caught up in the violence is exacerbated by overall economic decline and shortages of food, heating oil, water, and other necessities. Syria’s GDP has contracted by nearly 30 per cent since March 2011, leading to significant economic losses across different sectors (ESCWA, January 2013). The prices of most essential items, including food and fuel, have risen considerably. In Aleppo, the price of bread is now at 120-150 Syrian Punds (SYP) (about 1.50 Euro), up from SYP15 (15 Eurocent) (subsidized) and SYP45 (48 Eurocent) (unsubsidized) prior to the beginning of the conflict in March 2011. In some areas, the prices of milk, meat and chicken have risen up to 300 per cent (WFP, January 2013). In Damascus, the price per liter of heating oil has increased from SYP20 to more than SYP100. This is a reflection of limited supplies. Even steeper price hikes have been reported from other regions, significantly hampering people’s access to fuel at a time of particularly harsh winter conditions.

Food security is further undermined by a significant drop in agricultural production. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the agricultural sector has been devastated by the intensification of violence (FAO, January 2013). Production of wheat and barley dropped to less than 2 million tonnes in 2012, down from a normal level of 4-4.5 million tonnes per year prior to the crisis. FAO also noted a sharp decline in the production of fruit and vegetables, as well as severe problems facing livestock farmers. Damages and losses in the agricultural sector amount to US$1.8 billion, including crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure, FAO reports. The decline affects the majority of Syrians in rural areas, accounting for about 10 million people, or 46 per cent of the population.

Shortages of medicines are becoming more critical not only in the public health sector, but also among private service providers. WHO reports that many hospitals are in severe need of anesthesia, antibiotics, serums, and other essential medicines. Local pharmacies are increasingly unable to provide regular medicines such as simple pain killers. Health authorities across the country are receiving insufficient supplies from the central authorities.

6. SOLIDAR organisations and their approach to Syria:

There is all reason to expect that the humanitarian situation in Syria will be deteriorating. Internal displacement is increasing and host communities ability to assist is being exhausted, destruction of residential areas in cities and towns are massive, infrastructure is being damaged and production and transport harmed. Most of these areas are accessible for formal organizations, except partly Syrian Red Crescent and some UN-agencies. Assistance inside Syria is mainly provided through local networks and

1 Information drawn from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Syria Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 18 22 January – 4 February 2013

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 6 committees, informal channels through systems where Syrians transfer financial support to their families in country and to local committees on the ground which organize humanitarian assistance.

At the same time it is expected that the influx of refugees to neighboring countries will increase. Total number of refugees is currently almost 800,000, a sharp increase during year from only 10 000 in January 2012. The capability in all the surrounding host countries to care for the refugees is under severe pressure, and the crisis is also challenging the political stability in the region, particularly in Lebanon. For organizations in SOLIDAR-network there are currently three relevant angles of approach:

1. Humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

2. Training of Syrian activists on issues related to democratization and human rights, organization and use of media

3. Humanitarian assistance into Syria in cooperation with local organizations

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SOLIDAR-ASSISTANCE IN THE SYRIAN CRISIS

Organisation Jordan Lebanon Iraq Syria Global

SOLIDAR Humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria, Palestinian Switzerland and Syrian, residing in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Cooperation with NPA Norway. Winterization assistance to refugees from Syria, residing in Bekaa Valley. Cooperation with NPA Norway. On-going project

NPA Norway Mine Action Managed by NPA Lebanon Managed by NPA Iraq Humanitarian assistance programme with field country program country program to IDPs in the office in Jaber, Palestinian camps in coordinating with Mine Humanitarian assistance to Humanitarian Syria. Focus food, NFI Action programme in refugees from Syria, Palestinian assistance to refugees and winterization. Lebanon ready to and Syrian, residing in from Syria, residing in Cooperation with assess the Palestinian refugee camps in Kurdistan region in Iraq Norwegian MFA. contamination, provide Lebanon – Focus food, NFI and –NFI and winterization. winterization. Cooperation with mine risk education and Humanitarian conduct clearance SOLIDAR Suisse and Norwegian MFA. assistance into Northern Humanitarian assistance Syria cross border from into Syria in cooperation Winterization assistance to Kurdistan region in Iraq. with local organizations refugees from Syria in West Focus food,. and networks, both from Bekaa. Cooperation with Iraq – Kurdistan region SOLIDAR Suisse Training of Syrian into Northern Syria activists in Duhuk, (Hasakah and Aleppo, Back-to-school assistance to Kurdistan region and in from Lebanon in through refugees from Syria, Palestinian Turkey Palestinian camps and and Syrian, residing in gatherings in Damascus Palestinian refugee camps in and suburbs Lebanon. Cooperation with SOLIDAR Suisse and Canada

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 8 Fund Training and capacity building of Syrian activists. Cooperation with SOLIDAR Suisse, NORAD, and Norwegian MFA

Cash assistance to partners operating in the Palestinian camps and gatherings in Damascus and suburbs Mine Action programme in South Lebanon coordinating with Mine Action programme in Jordan ready to assess the contamination, provide mine risk education and conduct clearance

ARCI-ARCS Fundraising for humanitarian assistance to refugees from Italy Syria, Palestinian and Syrian, residing in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in cooperation with NPA Norway

SI Spain Fundraising for humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria:, short term food security, shelter and NFIs in governorates of Mafraq, Zarqa, Irbid and Ajlun.

MPDL Spain Making needs of Making needs of assessment of assessment of Syrian Syrian and Palestinian refugees and Palestinian from Syria in Lebanon, in refugees from Syria in Protection, Health and Education, Zarqa, in Protection, including the needs of people Health and Education, with disabilities. including the needs of Fundraising for providing non

Overview of the humanitarian situation | 9 people with disabilities. food items and wintering issues to the Palestinian refugees from Psychological and Syria arriving to South Beirut psychosocial support. Camps. Awareness of Fundraising for Humanitarian protection services. assistance to refugees from Syria Improving physical in Lebanon focus on conditions of people improvement of health conditions with disabilities. of Syrian refugees with disabilities in the Central and West Bekaa and South Lebanon regions.

Olof Palme Training of Syrian activists International Facilitating venues Center for Syrian opposition Documentation and information

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FOCAL POINTS SOLIDAR MEMBERS FOR THE SYRIAN CRISIS

In case one would like to receive more information about the activities conducted by the mentioned SOLIDAR member organisations, please get in touch with the focal points for the Syrian Crisis.

Organisation Name contact person E-mail address (Direct) Telephone Fields of responsibility

SI Spain Victor Manuel Velasco [email protected] +34 91 598 62 90 Desk for humanitarian Action

MPDL Spain Marta Iglesias [email protected] +34 91 429 76 44 Head of the International Action Department +34 618 979 095

SOLIDAR Christian Gemperli [email protected] +41 (0) 44 444 19 41 Coordinator Switzerland Humanitarian Aid

NPA Norway Trude Falch [email protected] +47 98233186 Senior advisor, Middle East

Martin Holter [email protected] +4741638843 Advisor, Middle East

ARCI-ARCS Italy Federica D'Amico [email protected] + 39 06 41609500 Mediterranean Department

Olof Palme Fredrick Lindahl [email protected] +46 86775754 Head of Division International Center (OPIC)

SOLIDAR EU Maurice Claassens [email protected] +32 2 500 10 26 Organisation development

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