The events in Syria since March 2011 have resulted in significant humanitarian needs. Compared with the initial 2013 Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP), launched in December 2012, the crisis has further intensified and expanded into most parts of the country. Civilians across the country are bearing the brunt of the on-going violence with rising numbers of people killed, injured, displaced or otherwise affected in their living conditions. The deterioration of the humanitarian situation combined with the need to extend the timeframe of the humanitarian response until December 2013 has necessitated the present revision.
In collaboration with the Government of Syria, humanitarian actors—United Nations (UN) agencies, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in Syria—are launching a revised Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2013, in order to address large-scale humanitarian needs throughout all 14 governorates.
From an original estimate of 4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the revised Response Plan will target around 6.8 million people, including around 4.25 million internally displaced people, as estimated by the UN.
The revised Response Plan will be implemented according to UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 (―Strengthening of the Coordination of Humanitarian Emergency Assistance of the United Nations‖) and the Guiding Principles in its annex. Humanitarian partners renew their commitment to deliver humanitarian aid with full respect to the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic. The humanitarian response under this plan encompasses the protection of all affected people, in accordance with International Humanitarian law, International Human Rights law and relevant norms and principles of international law. To this end, it is a state‘s responsibility to seek to ensure that the rights of all individuals on their territory are respected and guaranteed.
Protection objectives are pursued through activities across all sectors of the humanitarian response in Syria. Protection in the context of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and in particular for the SHARP, means the protection of all affected civilians including children, women, men and other groups with specific needs from violence, exploitation, discrimination, abuse and neglect resulting from the crisis.
In the course of implementing its protection activities, the UN will work in partnership with the Government to empower the state institutions to uphold humanitarian norms and principles. The UN will also continue to advocate for greater respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law, with relevant stakeholders.
The initial objectives of the SHARP are as follows:
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Provide relief supplies and appropriate emergency services to those most directly affected by the current events
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Provide assistance to people who left their homes as a result of current situation and to communities assisting them
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Support to the government in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure and vital public services affected by the current events through rapid response.
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Address humanitarian needs of the poor who are most affected by the current situation to avoid further destitution.
In the revised version of the 2013 SHARP, these objectives have been developed into the following set of strategic objectives:
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Advocate for the protection of civilians, and in particular of those with specific vulnerabilities and prioritize their needs in accordance with principles of international humanitarian and human rights law and international law.
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Increase the provision of life-saving emergency assistance and supporting the delivery of essential services for affected people in Syria, especially in the sectors of food and agriculture, water, sanitation, health, shelter, education and essential non-food items.
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Expand humanitarian response to encompass early recovery, and restoration/ stabilization of livelihoods, supporting the government in the rehabilitation of vital public services affected by the crisis and creating an environment for humanitarian assistance to enhance the resilience of affected communities.
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Enhance the operational capacity of national and international humanitarian responders and support existing local and community coping mechanisms.
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Ensure adequate levels of preparedness to respond to a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The revised Response Plan builds on the findings of sectoral assessments carried out during the first half of 2013 by concerned ministries, UN agencies, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and Syrian charities. It takes stock of the increased needs across all sectors.
In terms of the most urgent needs, the revised Response Plan considers the following categories of affected people:
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People located in or near areas subject to armed activities
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Internally displaced people
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Host families and communities
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Destitute people in urban and rural areas suffering from the socio-economic impact of the crisis as well as the prevailing economic sanctions
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Affected Palestinian refugees
Based on assessment findings, vulnerability, geographical locations and designation of life-saving, time-critical actions and interventions geared towards the restoration of public services have been included as prioritisation criteria. Moreover, the revision includes new elements consisting of the protection of the Syrian cultural heritage, which has been significantly looted and/or destroyed. Additional assessments will remain crucial to further tailor the humanitarian response.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.