Humanitarian Action for Children 2024 - Syrian Refugees and Other Vulnerable Populations

HIGHLIGHTS

• As the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic enters its thirteenth year, 6.8 million refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye remain in need of support. Refugees in the region rely heavily on humanitarian assistance provided by the international community, and host countries have ongoing challenges in absorbing them into their communities and national systems.

• UNICEF’s humanitarian response will continue to operate in two interconnected streams: providing urgent relief while addressing longer-term needs. A strong emphasis will be on cash transfers; the inclusion of out-of-school children in education systems; access to safe WASH services; quality health care and nutrition services, including immunizations to prevent disease; strengthening service delivery for those affected by harmful practices and sexual and gender-based violence; and pathways to develop livelihood skills.

• UNICEF is appealing for $860.5 million to respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of Syrian refugee children and other vulnerable populations. This includes $252.8 million for education, $169.8 million for social protection and cash transfers, $145.4 million for WASH, and $112.4 million for health and nutrition.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS

Refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic account for almost one in five refugees globally and Syrian children born in 2011, when the conflict began, are entering their teenage years. Large-scale voluntary return to their country in safety and dignity remains unlikely. Host countries – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye – have experienced ongoing challenges in absorbing displaced persons into their communities and national systems, and refugees have limited access to work opportunities and rely heavily on food and cash assistance provided by the international community. Local economic challenges coupled with global trends have resulted in skyrocketing prices for commodities, goods and services, to the point of economic collapse. There is also mounting stress in Türkiye on the 1.8 million refugees affected by the 2023 earthquakes there, and in Egypt, where more than 300,000 Sudanese refugees have fled. Anti-refugee rhetoric has surged in Lebanon and Türkiye as these countries face economic crises. Throughout the region, social policy interventions vary and require further strengthening to improve socioeconomic resilience and to address the increasing disparities, especially among the most vulnerable children, women and people with disabilities. Reductions in international funding are likely to further decrease families’ access to services, putting additional children at risk.

Financial and systemic barriers prevent many refugee and vulnerable host community children from accessing quality, inclusive formal and non-formal education, and many of those who do have access are falling below grade expectations. The immediate need for learning and psychosocial support in a safe environment is underscored by the numbers of children who are out of school or who have suffered from gender-based violence or grave violations.

Climate change is driving deteriorating levels of groundwater and river water, causing water scarcityand reliance on UNICEF-supported water and sanitation services. Meeting the demand for improvements in waste management, sanitation and access to safe water would greatly reduce acute watery diarrhoea and other water- or vector-borne diseases that are a persistent risk in the region. Newly arrived Sudanese refugees in Egypt’s border areas are particularly vulnerable and require hygiene kits, dignity kits and baby kits.

The increasing costs of health care are a major barrier to access. While refugees are included in some national health care systems, 21 they, too, face challenges in accessing secondary and tertiary health services. Disrupted electricity and limited WASH services impact the quality of health care available. Unimmunized children 13 are at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, highlighting the need to improve access to health services, public awareness and community engagement to increase uptake and combat vaccine misinformation.

Mounting child protection concerns in each host country have deepened vulnerabilities, and an increasing number of children and youth are bearing the effects of negative coping mechanisms including child labour, 11 child marriage 10 and school dropout. Gender-based violence risk mitigation, prevention and response programmes require adaptation to improve operations, and people with disabilities are in need of more inclusive services.