Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The programme aims to protect vulnerable girls and boys from harsh winter weather through the provision of winter clothing kits and to provide life-saving WASH services and supplies.

Expected results

UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children in the Syrian Arab Republic has a total funding requirement of US$330.8 Million in 2021. With the Austrian contribution of EUR 2 Million, the following results will be achieved:

Result 1: 24,500 girls and boys are protected from weather hazards through the provision of essential winter clothing kits in camps, informal settlements, abandoned or unfinished buildings or collective shelters and fragile communities.

Result 2: At least 40,000 affected people in informal camps, IDP centers, collective shelters, and host communities served with life-saving WASH services.

Result 3: At least 50,000 IDPs and host communities served with appropriate sanitation services.

Result 4: At least 90,000 people are reached with messaging on proper hygiene practices, COVID-19 prevention measures and access to services.

Target group / Beneficiaries

a) Target group: Austria’s contribution will reach 24,500 children (0 to 14 years of age). Winter NFIs will be distributed in camps, informal settlements, abandoned or unfinished buildings or collective shelters and fragile communities in North-East Syria. The estimated breakdown of targeted beneficiaries is: 70% IDPs; 10% host communities; and 20% returnees. In North-West Syria, up to 90,000 conflict-affected IDPs will benefit from emergency/ life-saving WASH interventions, including over 45,000 children and 26,309 women.

b) Partner: UNICEF implements the interventions under this partnership through national and international NGO partners as well as the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).

c) Location: Winter NFIs will be distributed in camps, informal settlements, abandoned or unfinished buildings or collective shelters and fragile communities in North-East Syria. WASH interventions will target mainly children and women in IDP camps and host communities in North-West Syria.

Activities

Result 1: a) Procurement of winter clothing kits and new-born baby kits to children 0 to 14 years of age. b) Distribution of winter clothing kits and new-born baby kits to children 0 to 14 years of age. c)Post-distribution monitoring survey to assess impact of Interventions and collect feed-back from beneficiaries.

Results 2 to 4: The UNICEF WASH strategy is to mainstream COVID-19 response within all ongoing and upcoming programmes. The key interventions include: a) Emergency life-saving WASH response for displaced populations including water trucking (with per capita water supply for IDPs of 25 liter per day), water disinfection, construction and maintenance of emergency latrines. b) Implementation of water safety planning in water trucking. Increased attention to safe collection treatment and storage at household level, apart from water quality monitoring. c) Restoration of WASH infrastructure to increase resilience of IDP host communities. For example, repair of damaged water pipes, rehabilitation of ground water wells (for contingency water supplies), and repair of damaged electro-mechanical equipment’s in pumping stations. This will also include operation, maintenance and management costs of the systems. d) Hygiene and sanitation promotion in areas densely populated by IDPs (e.g. through hygiene promotion campaigns, garbage clean ups in IDP camps). e) Provision of soap and essential hygiene items in respecting social distancing measure.

Context

Ten years since the start of the Syria crisis, the lives of children in Syria are affected by a triple crisis: protracted conflict, economic shock, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, an estimated 13.4 million people need humanitarian assistance across Syria (including about 6 million children) – this is a 21 per cent increase compared to 2020 (including an increase of 25 per cent of children in need) .

The scale, severity and complexity of humanitarian needs have become even more extensive due to the economic downturn, the rising cost of commodities, the devaluation of local currency -- all compounded by the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and ongoing hostilities. This has created devastating consequences for already vulnerable populations across the country, particularly displaced populations and returnees. This situation has left many families unable to provide for the basic needs of the children, particularly during the critical wintertime. This is particularly true for families who have been displaced several times and continue to live in dire conditions.

It is estimated that 1.9 million are living in informal settlements and planned camps, representing a 20 per cent increase since January 2020 (Syria Humanitarian Needs Overview, 2021). During 2020, an estimated 448,000 IDP returned to their places of origin and 38,200 refugees returned to Syria (HNO, 2021). Children who have been displaced and continue to live under dire conditions in poorly insulated houses and overcrowded makeshift shelters are particularly vulnerable. The objective of the programme is to protect children affected by the crisis and displacement in Syria from harsh weather conditions through the provision of winter clothes. The right to adequate clothing is a universal human right and a basic necessity, which is recognized in various human rights instruments.

In 2021, the WASH Sector estimates that 12.2 million people are in need of WASH assistance across the country (including 5.3 million children) based on household-level assessments completed in 2020. Of the total people in need, over 7 million people are highly dependent on humanitarian assistance, including 1.9 million people living in internally displaced persons (IDP) last resort sites. The proposed intervention supported by Austria will contribute to UNICEF’s overall response to address the WASH needs of vulnerable people in North-West Syria.