Syrian Arab Republic

2012 UNHCR country operations profile - Syrian Arab Republic

Working environment

The context

The Syrian Arab Republic hosts one of the largest urban refugee and asylum-seeker populations in the world. The Government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic continue to maintain a generous open door policy that allows Iraqi refugees to seek asylum and gain access to basic services such as education and primary health care. Moreover, the normalization of relations between Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic in early 2011 has led to a simplification of the visa process for Iraqis wishing to enter the Syrian Arab Republic.

UNHCR, with the support of the international community and in active partnership with the Syrian authorities, was able to maintain the protection space granted to refugees and asylum-seekers. With the assistance of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, it has continued to provide them with essential services and assistance.

The widespread unrest throughout the country has nonetheless caused delays in some capacity building and training work with national counterparts and has slowed the development of a formal legal framework for refugees and asylum-seekers.

Among the positive political reforms recently initiated related to statelessness, the decision on granting citizenship was adopted under Decree No. 491 in April 2011. In addition, a law has been drafted allowing Syrian mothers to pass on their nationality to their children. UNHCR has formally informed the Syrian authorities of its readiness to provide any support these initiatives and their implementation may require.

The needs

Refugees and asylum-seekers, particularly Iraqis, have continued to approach UNHCR for registration in 2011, albeit in smaller numbers than in the past. At the same time, there was more interest in assisted voluntary repatriation as well as independent departures, including back to Iraq.

Beyond the general protection concerns resulting from the current unrest in Syria, its social and economic impact on people of concern is likely to require UNHCR to provide them with significant direct assistance in the near future. Moreover, the current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is likely to cause serious delays in the resettlement programme, jeopardizing refugees' access to this durable solution.

With refugees exhausting their personal resources and international assistance for public health and education programmes on the decline, new vulnerabilities could arise even among those who used to be able to provide for themselves.

Main objectives and targets for 2012

Favourable protection environment

A national legal framework is developed.

• Continue supporting the development of a national legal framework through advocacy and capacity-building of national authorities.

Security from violence and exploitation

The risk of sexual and gender-based violence is reduced and the quality of the response to it is improved.

• Some 14,800 individuals are provided with counselling services.
• 550 SGBV survivors receive legal assistance.

The protection of children is strengthened.

• Partners receive support to enhance their capacity to improve the prevention and management of sexual and gender-based violence affecting children, as well as to provide direct assistance and multi-sectoral responses in complex cases.

Fair protection processes and documentation

The quality of registration and profiling is improved or maintained.

• Registration and renewal activities are undertaken in compliance with guidelines.

Basic needs and essential services

Services for groups with specific needs are strengthened.

• Review and refine beneficiary lists for financial assistance,
• Improve the tracking of vulnerabilities in order to prioritize individuals most in need, including urgent new cases where coping mechanisms have collapsed due to the instability in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The health of the population improves or remains stable.

• Health services are rationalized and support to clinics providing medicines is maintained.

The population of concern has optimal access to education.

• Solutions are implemented for those children who dropped out of school, with remedial classes for 3,000 refugee and Syrian children, and special classes targeting up to 1,000 refugee children with learning and psychosocial difficulties.

Community participation and self-management

Community mobilization is strengthened and expanded.

• Decentralized services promote local responses tailored to community needs through networks bringing together and building the capacity of refugee outreach volunteers and local partners.

Self-reliance and livelihoods are improved.

• Self-reliance is increased through various types of skills training, including vocational training.
• Partnerships with development agencies and new national institutions are fostered.

Durable Solutions

The potential for resettlement is realized.

• Some 13,000 individuals are submitted for resettlement and the departure of 5,000 individuals is facilitated.

The potential for voluntary return is realized.

• Some 1,200 individuals are assisted to return in safety and dignity, and activities such as verifying the voluntariness of returns and organizing cross-border meetings are continued.

Strategy and activities in 2012

UNHCR's overall aim is to meet protection and assistance needs by moving from direct implementation to greater investment in and reliance on partnerships with national actors and refugees, thereby increasing the sustainability of the response.

Key activities will include advocacy to maintain the protection space and continued support for the establishment of a legal framework for refugees.

It will also target financial assistance more precisely, based on a review of existing beneficiaries and the identification of refugees whose coping mechanisms are affected by the changing political and socio-economic environment. UNHCR will maintain the inter-agency review of access to medical services and the prioritization of education interventions and, where possible, hand over specific programme components to partners. Interventions will focus on building national capacity, including in preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence and providing psychosocial mental health support.

A comprehensive self-reliance strategy will be defined and implemented. Initial indications from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour point to the possibility of self-reliance opportunities for a limited number of beneficiaries, primarily long-stayers and those least likely to repatriate.

Resettlement departures in 2012 are expected to remain high in absolute terms but represent a relatively low percentage of the overall population (roughly 10%). It is anticipated that the resettlement of most of the Palestinians from Iraq residing in Al Hol Camp will allow for the closure of this camp by early 2012.

Concerning statelessness, the Decree No. 491 of April 2011, and the draft law on the transfer of nationality have given UNHCR an opportunity to renew its offer of support to the authorities. UNHCR will focus on advocacy, and seek partnerships with relevant national actors to contribute to a constructive dialogue on statelessness issues.

Constraints

As of mid-2011, all planning assumptions were subject to political and security developments in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, which could cause further delays in activities involving government counterparts, and affect options open to refugees.

Organization and implementation

Coordination

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to be UNHCR's main partner at the policy level for refugee protection and the development of a national asylum framework, while the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) remains UNHCR's key operational partner. The ministries of Education, Higher Education and Social Affairs and a small number of international NGOs are other important counterparts. Partnerships with local associations will also play a bigger role in UNHCR's 2012 strategy.

In addition to the coordination structure defined by the inter-agency Refugee Response Plan, the 2012-2016 UN Development Assistance Framework for the Syrian Arab Republic establishes stronger links between humanitarian and development programmes. These should be of particular benefit in the areas of health care, education, public infrastructure, material assistance distribution, capacity-building for mental health and psychosocial support, and the integration of vulnerable aliens in programmes tackling disparity, youth and juvenile justice.

Financial information

The 2012 budget for the Syrian Arab Republic stands at USD 94.5 million, 20 per cent less than that for 2011 due to the projected reduction in the number of registered Iraqi refugees. However, while the number of refugees shows a declining trend, their humanitarian needs are rising as their vulnerability increases. The 2012 budget includes monthly financial stipends, health care, education and other services for people with specific needs.

Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2012-2013

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