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

The consequences of almost ten years of civil war are increasingly more apparent in both Syria and Lebanon. After a period of greater stability in government-controlled areas of Syria, unrest has risen in the South, West, and North while fighting in Idlib and the north-east continues to grow. Beyond the violence and continued displacement, economic downturn in both Syria and Lebanon has prompted high inflation and currency depreciation reducing purchasing power and driving communities deeper into poverty. In Lebanon, the World Bank predicts 52% of the population will be below the poverty line by the end of 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated economic difficulties, food insecurity, and protection issues, and the recent explosion in Beirut has added further both to the need and complexity. The economic deterioration has prompted negative coping mechanisms such as child labour, school drop outs, reduced food consumption, and other harmful practices.  

In Syria, the conflict continues to take a devastating toll on the lives of the Syrian people, this is added to by a rapidly worsening economy leading to higher food prices and the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 6.7 million Syrians are internally displaced and 5.5 million are registered as refugees outside of the country.