Summary:

The current Operations Update covers the ongoing implementation of activities in the MENA region in response to the civil unrest. National Societies and the Federation continue to implement essential and urgent activities against the planned objectives and towards the current target of beneficiaries. With continuing and growing needs, particularly in Syria and its neighbouring countries, this operations update is being published in anticipation of a further revision of the current Appeal, to be launched before the end of June. In response to the mounting humanitarian needs in Syria and its neighbouring countries, the IFRC is planning to extend the ongoing revised appeal by six months, until the end of December 2012 and increase the budget for Syria and the region (including Lebanon and Jordan), with figures to be confirmed.

As the situation in North Africa stabilises and needs are subsiding, the North Africa component of the appeal will be extended by three months, until the end of September 2012, with particular focus on Libya. Final expenditure reports will be made available 90 days following the closure of these operations. In Yemen, with the needs relating to last year’s unrest having decreased, focus of the international community, including that of YRCS and IFRC, is turning towards responding to the food insecurity across the country in close coordination with Movement partners in Yemen. A DREF operation has been launched and an assessment team is currently deployed to examine the gravity of the situation on the basis of which the involvement of YRCS and IFRC will be determined. Therefore, activities for Yemen under this unrest appeal will close as planned, at the end of June and final expenditure reports will follow in 90 days. In light of the planned extension of this appeal, we ask, therefore, that donors who do not wish for the implementation time frame of their pledges to be extended until the end of September for North Africa and the end of December for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan; please contact the MENA Zone RM Team by 14 July 2012.

The appeal extension will primarily address SARC’s support needs in scaling up the operation. This includes management and technical support and working on capacity building of SARC across the country. Operationally, needs to be addressed by the new Revised Appeal are in the sectors of health, and logistics capacity to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by the unrest, including displaced people and host families and communities. In North Africa, the planned activities will continue for a further three months.

In addition, and with an increasing influx of people from Syria into Northern Iraq, a joint rapid assessment team will deploy in the coming weeks to assess the needs of the populations living in camps. Findings of this assessment will determine whether an appeal component for Iraq be included in this appeal. The MENA Zone Office is working in close coordination with the Europe Zone Office to cooperate around the support and exchange of information relating to the countries surrounding Syria and their likely need to respond to increasing numbers of refugees, especially in Turkey. The progress in this update and the new operational objectives and proposed activities cover the period from 26/02/2011 – 30/04/2012.