The situation in Syria continues to be highly complex due to a confluence of security, displacement, socio-economic, and most recently epidemiological factors, leading to continuously high humanitarian and protection needs. More than 11 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and vulnerable host community members are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance. Persons with specific vulnerabilities related to their age, gender, disability, migration/displacement status, ethnicity, and other diversity factors such as women and girls, older persons, persons with disabilities, and persons with pre-existing health concerns face additional barriers to access services and support.

Coping capacities of affected populations continue to deteriorate, with increases in debt and adoption of harmful coping strategies.

WASH and shelter infrastructure in many communities have either fallen into disrepair or have been destroyed, due to little or no maintenance and lack of power supplies. Many communities are experiencing poor functioning sewage systems, with most sewage discharged untreated into open areas.

The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating humanitarian needs and aggravating protection risks and barriers to access services assistance, and protective spaces, in particular for vulnerable and marginalized groups. Official infection numbers have been comparatively low, contrasting with accounts of health workers, civil society organizations and individual Syrians of suspected cases, overload of health care facilities, and presumed COVID-19 related deaths.

Expected Results

ER 1: Vulnerable women, men, girls, and boys have adequate access to WASH services and hygiene practices.

ER 2: Most at-risk women, men, girls and boys have improved information on and access to critical protection services.

ER 3: Emergency-affected women, men, girls and boys have access to cash, support and services to address immediate needs

ER 4: Vulnerable women, men, girls, and boys have adequate access to cash to address their immediate needs.

Main Activities

• Ensuring vulnerable populations have water supplies (water trucking, water storage, water system rehabilitation and maintenance)
• Install and maintain latrines/ hand washing stations, rehabilitate sanitation systems and provide desludging services
• Solid waste management and latrine cleaning
• Promote safe hygiene behaviours, including proper handwashing, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and distribution of soap
• Provide critical protection-related information for women, men, girls, and boys
• Provide protection case management, psychosocial support and individual protection assistance
• Provide life skills sessions, recreational activities and skills building activities
• Train and support members of local initiatives and community groups to actively engage in protection awareness campaigns and community dialogues
• Providing services under Transit Support Unit (TSU – ambulance services, awareness-raising sessions, mobile latrines, and referral services through the hotline)
• People in transit in need of specialized assistance referred to appropriate services
• Emergency WASH services
• Market assessment and distribution of cash assistance