Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The overall objective of the Trust Fund is to foster more self-reliance of refugees, helping them thrive not just survive, by bridging the funding gap and humanitarian-development Nexus. At the same time, the Fund assists the countries and communities hosting the refugees in coping with the additional economic and social burden of the crisis.

Expected results

- Addressing the early recovery, as well as resilience and self-reliance needs of refugees and IDPs, in a manner that also benefits local communities, and preserves the stability of neighbouring countries.

- Supporting the countries hosting refugees by investing in health and education, economic development, job creation and integration into labour markets, for both local communities and refugees, especially vulnerable groups such as women and youth.

Target group / Beneficiaries

Target Groups: Syrian Refugees and their host communities and administrations in the Region.

Geographical Focus: the focus is on Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, however, the Trust Fund's scope has been expanded to also cover support to IDP's in Iraq, to the non-EU countries in the Western Balkans affected by the refugee crisis and to Armenia which also hosts Syrian refugees.

Partners: in line with the Fund's objective to foster a genuine European response in partnership with the host governments in the region, the Trust Fund partners with Development agencies of EU Member States, European NGOs, Red Cross societies. Additionally, relevant UN Agencies such as UNICEF, UNRWA, UNHCR are key partners of the MADAD Fund.

Approximately 6.7 million refugees plus their host communities in the various countries have been reached by the Trust Fund so far, with a volume of over 2.2 billion Euros (per September 2020). The exact number of the target group which can be supported by this Austrian Contribution is difficult to gage. However, approximately more than 3,045 refugees plus all their host communities could be reached with this contribution.

Activities

It addresses early recovery, as well as resilience and self-reliance needs of refugees and IDPs, in a manner that also benefits local communities, and preserves the stability of neighbouring countries.

It supports countries hosting refugees by investing in health and education, protection services, livelihoods and social cohesion support, and water and sanitation services, for both local communities and refugees, especially vulnerable groups such as women and youth.

Context

The Syrian conflict has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Refugees from Syria are the biggest refugee population from a single conflict in a generation, with over 5.6 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and the wider region. Countries bordering Syria are hosting the majority of refugees: Lebanon hosts close to 1 million registered Syria refugees alone and has, along with Jordan, the largest per capita refugee population in the world. Turkey is currently hosting some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, the largest number of refugees in one country in the world.

With contributions from the EU budget, 21 EU Member States, as well as Turkey and the United Kingdom, the Fund has reached a total volume of over €2.2 billion (per September 2010). Large projects focusing on education, livelihoods, health, socio-economic support, water and waste water infrastructure have already been approved by the Fund's board. More than € 1.7 billion have been contracted in over 80 projects to the Trust Fund's implementing partners on the ground, now reaching more than 6.7 million beneficiaries.