Syria Emergency Shelter and NFI Sector Factsheet

2015Issue 10 - Apr

◊ Shelter• Besides the regular shelter programme, the recent developments including those in Idlib required the Sector to perform emergency

response. This is done through dispatch of tents as a first immediate response and through making public structures for temporary hosting of IDPs available. In subsequent phases, the Sector, in collaboration with concerned authorities, will strive to upgrade more sites/structures/facilities to host IDPs, and to develop more durable options for both IDP and host communities.

• Despite tensions in some areas where shelter response is planned, the 2015 shelter programme has started. The implementing part-ners are in the process of tendering sub-contracted works, hence physical activities on sites are expected to be visible soon.

• The 2015 shelter response planning started beginning of September 2014, and it was conducted as a participatory exercise among relevant authorities, implementing partners, funding agencies, and later within the Whole of Syria (WoS) framework. In this regard, not only has the planning process been more efficient, it also led to a more focused concept for shelter response in Syria.

• A workshop with the participation of line ministry (MoLA) representatives, governorate representatives, implementing partners and other sectors was conducted on 24 February to finalize details and to simultaneously present the 2015 shelter planning to the most relevant stakeholders, as well as to enhance coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders.

◊ NFI• Since the beginning of the year, 1,301,441 individuals have been supported with a total of 5,011,287 NFIs [(20) items per family in

average].• Winterized NFI distribution is hindered due to delays in approvals for the delivery of assistance.• The Sector is finalizing its 2015 strategic framework, as well as reviewing assistance delivery and monitoring practices.• NFI sector sub national coordination was rolled out in Tartous and Homs hubs. A sector coordinator was nominated for each hub.

Sector Strategy and Objectives◊ Shelter• Respond to sudden emergencies, as well as provide more substantial solutions.• Ensure adequate contingency planning. This includes stockpiling of tents or other emergency facilities, and pre-identification of other sites/structures and

response options.• Develop shelter response options and variations for emergency contexts and transitional purposes as well as for durability oriented perspectives.• Develop alternative shelter options to enhance outreach and efficiency while maintaining the current shelter response options of collective shelter rehabilita-

tion and private shelter upgrade.• Implement the 2015 shelter response in views of specific locations and contexts, adequacy of solutions, accessibility of areas, impact and reach-out to various

target groups.• Move toward more clustered shelter settlements, in order to provide comprehensive packages of services.• Enable and empower owners to receive shelter support in the premises to which they return.• Further simplify administrative procedures for project identification, planning and implementation.• Ensure transparency and accountability for processes at each stage.• Efficiently link with other sectors, in particular WASH and Protection to comprehensively cover needs beyond shelter and to actively address concerns of

beneficiaries’ safety, security and well-being.• Actively contribute to enhancement of cooperation between stakeholders at national and local levels, but also within the WoS framework.

◊ NFI• Increase provision of appropriate life-saving emergency services and relief supplies for the affected people in Syria.• Ensure adequate levels of preparedness to respond to further emerging humanitarian needs.• To this end, the following strategies are followed:

• Focus on newly displaced population and host communities.• Procure/stockpile standard NFIs to enable urgent distributions.• Support market led intervention to strengthen people coping mechanisms and building resilience.• Follow a decentralized approach for agencies to be closer to beneficiaries, to enhance rapid response, outreach and monitoring capacity and to

have more flexibility if the security situation worsens.• Build capacities of local partners involved in the distribution process in particular the main partner SARC.

Coordinators: • Shelter: Henri Stalder / stalder@unhcr.org • NFI: Migena Tane / tanemig@unhcr.org

Highlights

Needs, response and gaps

Solutions

◊ Shelter• Consistent planning, starting with annual program planning, updated on regular basis, sometimes even daily in case of emergency response is

the most efficient tool to be abreast of needs and aware of possible constraints throughout the whole process.• During development of the 2015 Strategic Response Plan, the scope of Shelter response options was strategized under four objectives, and

broadened in terms of response options and possible implementation modalities. In particular, targeted capacity building and coordination on broad scale and a variety of levels have been introduced as major components of the 2015 shelter response plan.

◊ NFI• Promote close inter-agency collaboration and where possible joint planning to make programmes more integrated and effective.

◊ Shelter• Emergency stockpiling, assurance of sufficient logistics as well as timely replenishment through import of goods prove to be challenges in times of renewed ten-

sions and increasing volatility.• Shelter needs may differ according to target groups; hence response needs change accordingly. Up to present, IDPs are served with shelter response through col-

lective shelter rehabilitation and private shelter upgrade. Future shelter response is to take place in the framework of the national response aiming at providing solutions for specific groups, needs and areas. At the same time the shelter response has to address possible emergency situations, as well as to draft recovery oriented perspectives.

• Response capacity, in terms of partners’ ability and competence, but also related to outreach, scope and scale of response, is still insufficient.

◊ NFI• The number of IDPs including those displaced multiple times over the year has increased significantly. The Sector members aim to support 8,410,000 people with

NFI in the course of 2015.• The NFI working group agreed on the comprehensive family packages which contain mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, jerry cans, baby and elderly

diapers, sanitary napkins, plastic sheets, etc. The agencies procured the items to be distributed during winter, including high thermal blankets and winter clothes.• Following the SCR 2165, cross-border relief assistance has been delivered since July through the Bab Al Salam and Bab Al Hawa crossing from Turkey and from

Jordan through the Ramtha crossing. This is expected to continue to complement the cross-line delivery in order to have access to people in hard-to-reach areas.

Challenges◊ Shelter • Inaccessibility to some areas due to the increased volatility in the political environment and power shifts, hence the whole operational context. By its nature,

shelter response is location-bound; therefore it is difficult to adjust in case of changing conditions in the planned intervention areas. Consequently, planning for assumed emergencies as well as with regard to recovery and sustainability proves to be extremely challenging.

• Suddenness and unpredictability of displacements following tensions and conflict.• Continued interaction with the line Ministry of Local Administration, and the Ministry’s cooperativeness has substantially promoted simplification of a num-

ber of procedures for project approvals, agreements and implantation modalities. Yet, the general administrative framework and procedural requirements, also in the context of international agencies’ – regulations still represent major obstacles for quick response.

• Implementing partners’ capacity, in terms of quantifiable resources, outreach, number of partners, but also in regards of technical, management and moni-toring capacity. This situation was aggravated by the fact that one major implementing partner is currently not allowed to implement major programmes, in particular in the shelter sector.

• Funding shortfall and donors’ reluctance to invest in shelter response within Syria which strongly impacts the 2015 shelter response planning.• Complicated interaction between stakeholders in the WoS framework.• Requirement of considerable monitoring capacity and high flexibility to adjust interventions due to the frequently changing conditions including the security situation.• Suddenly imposed emergencies, forcing partners to develop immediate response impacting agencies’ capacity, funding and other resources.• Unpredictability of the political and social context in Syria and the greater regional context, as well as politicized humanitarian assistance.

◊ NFI• The number of IDPs including those displaced multiple times over the year has increased significantly. The NFI sector agencies aim to support 8,410,000 people

with NFIs in the course of 2015.• The NFI working group agreed on the comprehensive family packages which contain mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, jerry cans, baby and elderly

diapers, sanitary napkins, plastic sheets, etc. The agencies procured the items to be distributed during winter, including high thermal blankets and winter clothes.• Following the SCR 2165, cross-border relief assistance has been delivered since July through the Bab Al Salam and Bab Al Hawa crossing from Turkey and from

Jordan through the Ramtha crossing. This is expected to continue to complement the cross-line delivery in order to have access to people in hard-to-reach areas.

Context and Response◊ Shelter• There are different types of shelter solutions selected by the displaced population such as renting, being hosted by relatives or being settled collectively

whether in public or in private buildings. The shelter sector works currently on improving the physical conditions of the shared shelters through various types of interventions as they are in a dire need of such response.

• The Shelter response in Syria takes place in a highly regulated environment, with limited capacity of implementing partners and strong government involve-ment. While this provides government endorsement and support of shelter activities, it also entails formal requirements and lengthy procedures to engage in concrete response activities.

• The Sector is striving to further develop more efficient response options. This concerns modalities for implementation, as well as appropriate variations for timely response in emergencies.

• The sector also aims at strengthening capacity of stakeholders in different thematic domains and at all levels, in view of efficiency of processes, procedures and shelter response in general.

◊ NFI• IDPs are typically compelled to leave behind many of their assets. This heightens their vulnerability and exposure to a range of risks. Host communities and

displaced persons have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as children’s drop out of school, consuming low quality and quantity of food, residing in crowded and unclean shelters, begging, child labor and many other risky income-generating activities.

• Following the Security Council Resolution (SCR) 2165, in March two cross-border relief operations took place through Turkey (Bab Al Salam and Bab Al Hawa border crossings) covering 20,000 beneficiaries and three from Jordan (Ramtha crossing point), covering 7,500 beneficiaries.

• While since the beginning a total of 29 cross-border relief operations took place through Turkey (Bab Al Salam and Bab Al Hawa border crossing) and 20 from Jordan (Ramtha crossing point), serving the people in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Daraa and Quneitra Governorate.

• The Sector responded to Busra displacement, 1,000 IDPs families from Busra assisted in Sweida and 3,500 IDPs families assisted in Sayeda Zeinab in Rural Damascus.• The Sector responded to Idlib displacement by compiling the current available stock and response capacities of sector members to assist IDPs from Idlib head-

ing to four neighboring governorates. The sub national working group within Tartous hub is targeting the IDPs families from Idlib in Tartous, Lattakia, Jesr Al Shoughour and Ariha. While the NFI sub national working group in Homs hub is targeting IDPs from Idlib in Homs and Hama in addition to rural Hama in Al Suqelbieh in Al Ghab area.

Who is doing what where in Shelter and NFIs – till 31 December 2014

Damascus

Quneitra

Rural Damascus

Hassakeh

Raqqa

Deir es Zour

Idlib

Hama

Lattakia

Homs

Sweida

Daraa

Tartous

Aleppo

Qamishly

DRC GOPA IMC IOMPU

SOS TDH UNDP

UNHCR

UNRWA

ACF-SP DRC GOPA IMC IOM SOS UNDP

UNHCR UNRWA

ACF-SP ADRA GOPA IOM PUSSSDUNDP

UNHCR UNRWA

ACF-SP DRC GOPA IOM PUSSSD

TDH UNDPUNCIF

UNHCR UNRWA

GOPA

IOM

SOS

UNDP

UNHCR

UNRWA

ACF-SP ADRA

IOM TDH UNHCR

UNHCR

GOPA

IOM PU SOS UNDP

UNHCR

NFI

Shelter

ACF-SP GOPA IOM

UNDP UNHCR UNICF

SIFSSSD

ACF-SP

IOM

UNICEF

UNICEF

UNICEF

UNICEF

PU

UNICEF

UNICEF

ACF-SP ADRA DRC GOPA IMC IOM PU

SSSD TDH UNDP

UNHCR UNRWAUN-HABITAT

SOS SIF

DRC GOPA IOM

SSSD UNDP UNHCR

UNRWA

UNICEF

SOS

UN-HABITAT

UNICEF

GOPA IOM UNDP

UNHCRUNICF

SIF IOM UNDP UNHCR

SIF IOM

UNDP UNICEF UNHCR

ACF-SP

Sector Leader Partners of the Shelter and NFI Sector

Produced by UNHCR-Syria Reporting Unit on behalf of the Shelter and NFI Sector