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Current Requirements (US$)$4.88 billion
Analysis of context, crisis and needs
In 2024, the Syria crisis marks its thirteenth year without a political solution. Over 6.5 million Syrians, many of them displaced for over a decade, have sought refuge in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt — the five countries covered by the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP). The protracted nature of the conflict, which has resulted in one of the world's largest refugee crises, has strained public infrastructure and services in host countries, especially housing, education, health care, waste management, water and sanitation.
Recent global events and trends, including the war in Ukraine, an increase in inflation and currency devaluations, and the worsening impact of climate change, have deteriorated already fragile socio-economic conditions. Furthermore, 2023 saw additional emergencies in the region, notably the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in February, which killed over 50,000 and displaced over 3 million people, and the conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April and has forced more than a million individuals to flee into neighbouring countries, including Egypt.
Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt have been impacted by the rising food and energy prices due to their wheat import dependence. Lebanon has continued to experience an unstable political environment coupled with a collapsing economy. Egypt, dealing with the consequences of the Sudan crisis, has seen an influx of over 330,000 individuals seeking refuge as of October 2023. The most recent conflict, erupting in October in Israel and the Gaza strip, has already generated massive internal displacement and may further affect the stability of the wider region. Iraq, although relatively stable, grapples with protracted humanitarian and development needs, political challenges, and a volatile security situation. Over the years, the inclusion of refugees into public services and policies in Iraq has been gradually achieved in most sectors. 3RP partners in Iraq have been gradually shifting from emergency humanitarian response to a longer-term solutions approach, with a focus on the inclusion of refugees into public systems and services.
El-Mina, Lebanon
Syrian refugee and widow Khadra, 50, cleans lentils outside her tent in El-Mina, northern Lebanon, where she has lived in an informal refugee settlement for the past 12 years since the Syria crisis began. She shares a one-room tent with her five children, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren, and has to forage for food in rubbish piles to feed her family.
UNHCR/Joelle Abou ChabkeA noticeable rise in poverty among refugees and host communities underscores the growing challenges, with reduced humanitarian assistance and limited or fragile social safety nets. This has resulted in increased reliance on harmful coping mechanisms, such as families reducing meals, accumulating debt, and cutting expenses on health and children’s education. Female-headed households are more prone to poverty and are frequently unable to access basic services. Incidents of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual abuse, rape and trafficking have increased over the past year, and an estimated 7.3 million women and girls need GBV-related services. Services to respond to people with disabilities, particularly women, are also limited and women with disabilities are at higher risk of sexual and physical abuse, rape and or emotional and psychological harm.
Earthquakes struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria
In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, over 9 million people were affected, with around 3.6 million rendered homeless, particularly in the four worst-hit provinces. Additionally, the earthquakes disrupted the education of nearly 4 million children, especially in the affected provinces. Moreover, there is growing concern about the risk of early and forced marriages causing some children to abandon their education.
The protracted nature of the Syria crisis, compounded by challenging socio-economic circumstances in most 3RP countries, makes preserving social cohesion vital. However, mitigating tensions between communities is becoming increasingly challenging in a context where protection space is shrinking. Funding for the 3RP is dwindling even as needs become more acute. At the end of November 2023, funding was at a mere 23 per cent of the total appeal of US$ 5.86 billion. As international support is stretched by other global priorities and emerging crises, this decline poses a significant risk, exacerbating the crisis in 3RP countries and threatening their socio-economic stability.
Azraq Camp, Zarqa, Jordan
Syrian volunteer Hanan Al Horani plays with children. Azraq refugee camp is home to 40,000 Syrian refugees. UNHCR manages the camp in coordination with the Government of Jordan.
UNHCR/Osama SabbahStrategic objectives and response priorities
Over 270 partners across 3RP countries will continue to support government-led efforts in assisting refugees and vulnerable host community members. The ‘One Refugee’ approach, the Global Compact on Refugees, and the 2030 Agenda guide the 3RP’s long-term, solutions-orientated response. Notably, Iraq aims to transition out of 3RP by 2025 due to successful refugee inclusion into public services and a shift towards resilience-strengthening programmes. This transition is coordinated under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), with established benchmarks set to guide the process in 2023 and 2024. The aim is to advance refugee inclusion and to fully operationalize the Humanitarian-Development Nexus under the refugee response.
In 2024, over 17 million people in 3RP countries are projected to be in need of assistance. This includes some 6 million refugees and 11 million impacted host community members. "
In 2023, up to 30 September, some 28,000 Syrian refugees were verified as having returned to Syria, reflecting a slight downward trend compared to 2022. As of the same date, some 33,000 refugees from the region — which includes approximately 4,000 non-Syrian refugees — have been referred for resettlement to third countries in 2023. Syrian refugees continue to have the most pressing global resettlement needs, with projections indicating that over 753,000 Syrian refugees will be in need of resettlement in 2024.
In a survey of refugees conducted between January and February 2023 across the region, a mere 1.1 per cent of Syrian refugees expressed the intention to return home within the next year, even if the majority still hope to do so eventually.
Cairo, Egypt
These young people are refugees from Syria. They attend an Instant Network School class in Cairo, Egypt. Instant Network Schools were set up in 2013 by Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR to give young refugees, host communities and their teachers access to digital learning content and the internet, improving the quality of education in some of the most marginalized communities in Africa.
UNHCR/Pedro Costa GomesThe 3RP's 2024 response will focus on four strategic directions:
- Protecting people: Protection is at the heart of the 3RP response. Partners will continue to work to keep refugees and vulnerable host community members safe from exploitation, abuse, violence, and psychosocial distress and to support survivors. Access to legal aid and documentation will help people to live dignified lives and access basic services. In addition, strengthening gender-based violence prevention, mitigation, and response, increasing the scale and scope of specialized child protection services, and expanding community protection and refugee-host community cohesion will also remain priorities.
- Promoting durable solutions: Aligned with international standards and frameworks, the 3RP works towards durable solutions. It emphasizes expanding complementary pathways, resettlement opportunities, and supporting voluntary, safe and dignified returns, by ensuring that refugees can make informed and voluntary decisions. 3RP partners also commit to further enhance inclusion of refugees in development planning and programming.
- Contributing to dignified lives: 3RP partners are committed to assisting refugees and host communities in accessing essential services such as healthcare and education, ensuring food security, and providing them with sustainable and decent livelihood opportunities to enhance their self-reliance. The response also emphasizes enhancing housing standards for the most affected communities, boosting learning and employability skills, and advocating for their inclusion into national social protection initiatives.
- Enhancing local and national capacities: Enhancing access to more sustainable services for refugees and vulnerable host community members and strengthening social cohesion require strong support for national and local capacities. In alignment with the Grand Bargain commitment, 3RP partners will continue to advance localization by empowering local and national authorities, fostering community ownership, and supporting local entities, including civil society organisations and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.
Türkiye
Syrian refugee families living in an informal camp in Hatay for people displaced from their homes after the earthquakes that struck south-east Türkiye on 6 February, 2023. Water, sanitation and hygiene remain some of the most urgent priorities for children and families.
UNICEF/ Ann Marie WilcockDisability inclusion, Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) are crucial elements of the 3RP response. The 3RP is guided by the principle of leaving no one behind, which not only entails reaching the most vulnerable populations but also addresses the intersecting inequalities that hinder affected communities' access to services, resources, and equal opportunities. By adopting community-based approaches, the 3RP promotes the participation of affected populations, addressing inequalities to ensure equitable access to services and opportunities. Efforts are directed at enhancing feedback and complaint mechanisms, reinforcing the PSEA focal points network, and ensuring that protection and support for those affected by SEA are integrated across all sectors.
The outlook for 2024 and beyond is concerning due to limited multi-year funding and decreasing overall humanitarian support for the Syria situation. Underfunding has severe consequences for refugee-hosting countries like Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Syrian Arab Republic Regional
References
- UNHCR, "Exacerbating vulnerabilities: Where do global shocks leave refugees in Jordan?", https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/101132.
- UNFPA, "Syria: Situation for women and girls’ worse than ever as crisis grinds on," June 12, 2023; Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, "Gendered Impact of the Conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic On Women and Girls," June 12, 2023.
- OCHA, "Humanitarian Transition Overview - Türkiye Earthquake Response," August 2023, https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/turkiye/humanitarian-transition-overview-turkiye-earthquake-response-august-2023.
- UNHCR, "The numbers reported are only those verified or monitored by UNHCR and do not reflect the entire number of returns, which may be significantly higher," 2023, https://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Durable-Solutions_August-2023.pdf.