Appeal target (current): This Preliminary Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 3.7 million in cash, kind, or services to support national societies in assisting 55,000 people (11,000 families), for six months, until the beginning of February 2013. This is in addition to providing significant support to national societies through disaster preparedness and capacity building components, in light of the fluid situation and contingency planning for a larger influx of Syrians into the neighbouring countries. A Final Report will be available by the beginning of May 2013 (3 months after the end of the operation).

Summary: A significant increase in numbers of Syrians fleeing into Syria’s neighbouring countries calls for an urgent scale-up of response in the region. To date over 123,000 people have been registered by UNHCR in Syria’s neighbouring countries, although the Government of Jordan estimates that some 150,000 people have arrived in Jordan alone, with some sources reporting similar numbers in Lebanon. To address this need, this appeal seeks CHF 3.7 Million to assist the Jordan Red Crescent, the Lebanese Red Cross and the Iraq Red Crescent, in responding to the needs of some 11,000 families in the areas of relief (including cash assistance), hygiene promotion, disaster preparedness and capacity building for the operating national societies. Activities developed in this Preliminary Emergency Appeal are based on IFRC and partner National Societies joint assessment findings and other secondary information, and have been designed in partnerships between the Federation and NS.

Since March 2012, activities targeting the needs of people fleeing Syria into Lebanon and Jordan have been supported by the Revised Emergency Appeal for the MENA Civil Unrest (appeal number: MDR82001). However, with mounting violence across Syria, forcing tens of thousands to flee across borders, this Preliminary Emergency Appeal focuses entirely on the needs in the neighbouring countries and outlines the essential activities that the Jordanian Red Crescent and the Lebanese Red Cross Societies will implement with support from IFRC, as a direct reflection of the urgency of the situation. An increase in Syrians crossing into Iraq calls for an inclusion of support to the IRCS in responding to this crisis, although details of activities are still being developed and will be included in the first operations update. As stated in operations update 12 on the 4th July 2012, for the MENA Civil Unrest Revised Emergency Appeal, the balance of funds remaining for the regional component (Lebanon and Jordan), will be transferred to this population movement appeal and activities implemented as agreed.

Under the MENA Civil Unrest Revised Emergency Appeal, the Lebanese Red Cross has provided emergency medical services to wounded and sick people arriving on the eastern and northern borders of the country from Syria through first aid treatments, transportation to hospitals and provision of blood units. LRC teams have been saving the lives of hundreds of people in desperate need. Under the same Emergency Appeal, the Jordanian Red Crescent has been providing hygiene kits and other essential non-food items to Syrians registered in Amman and the northern areas of Mafraq, Ramtha and Irbid, where the highest numbers of Syrians are currently found.

Both the LRC and JRC continue to carry out these essential activities in their respective countries, to meet the urgent needs of people arriving from Syria. However, with growing numbers of people entering Syria’s neighbouring countries, needs too are increasing. This Preliminary Emergency Appeal details the scale-up of the response required to assist this ever-growing vulnerable population in the region and is drawn-up in close cooperation with Red Cross Movement partners. With an increase in influx in Iraq over the recent weeks, IRCS has been responding to the situation on border areas, with need of support from the Federation to ensure a scale-up as required.