Emergency Humanitarian Assistance, Protection and Livelihood support for Vulnerable Populations in Syria and Lebanon

Almost a decade into civil war, the Syria context continues to be complex and volatile with different territories of the country in flux between recovery, ongoing conflict, or descension towards conflict following a period of stability. Some urban areas such as Homs and Aleppo have sustained a few years of recovery, although IDP movement continues to be severe and fluid.  Both these areas have also experienced an influx of returnees who often come home to severely damaged or destroyed homes, infrastructure, livelihoods, and social structures. Beyond this, purchasing power for the average Syrian household remains very low and there continues to be a dependency on assistance. For this reason, the recovery process is slow and uncertain.  

The Lebanese context is just as complex as Syria, absorbing the knock-on effects of a huge swell in the refugee population while now experiencing its own political and economic crisis independent of and yet tied to that in Syria.  The future is increasingly uncertain - the gradual deterioration of political and economic structures began to accelerate approximately 18 months ago, and the impacts are widespread. Instead of looking to options for integration and self-reliance, Syrian refugees are facing a dire choice between living in deep poverty, often with the inability to work, in Lebanon, or to face immense protection concerns and consider a return to Syria. For the Lebanese host community, more and more of the population is falling under the poverty line as the economy continues to shrink. Without a functioning market, increasing inflation, and political uncertainty, humanitarian assistance is becoming more critical and necessary.