03/17/2008

Contact: Kristele Younes and Elizabeth Campbell

In 2007, the international community finally started responding to the plight of Iraqi refugees in the Middle East. The attention to the crisis resulted in increased funding that allowed the UN—particularly the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)—and non-governmental organizations to develop and expand their programs. Still, much more remains to be done to identify and meet the particular needs of refugees from mixed socio-economic backgrounds living in developed urban areas. Particularly in Syria, UNHCR must continue to devise creative ways to improve its outreach to the most vulnerable. To increase stability in the region, donor governments must fully fund all appeals, engage in rigorous diplomacy with host countries, and provide support to the humanitarian community in its dealings with local authorities.

Understanding the Context and the Population Served

UNHCR programs in Syria are currently addressing basic food, primary healthcare, and education needs of some registered refugees. However, operating in a non-camp, urban environment has proven to be a great challenge to UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies. Since Iraqis speak the same language and share similar physical features with the host population, identifying refugees can be extremely hard. This is compounded by the unique operating challenges presented in Syria. Given these circumstances, UNHCR should be commended for its achievements in expanding from a very small operation in Damascus to one of the largest UNHCR teams worldwide, intervening on multiple fronts and leading the overall relief effort countrywide and regionally.

Unable to work, refugees’ resources are largely depleted, and many are also losing their refugee status. Without income, adequate levels of aid, and immediate third country resettlement opportunities, some have returned to Iraq. Others have moved out of Damascus or have been smuggled into Lebanon or Turkey. Iraqis have become a highly mobile population as a result of the lack of assistance and durable solutions in their countries of first asylum. Of those who have appointments to register with UNHCR in Damascus, 50 percent fail to show. While some people do not see the benefits of registering, others have left or have become too vulnerable to present themselves. In order to rectify this, UNHCR must lead an effort to identify the needs of all Iraqis currently in Syria. Donors need to provide both the financial resources and political support for UNHCR to be able to work closely with the Syrian Government on this.

Assessing Vulnerability and Responding Appropriately

The difficulties in identifying the Iraqi population in Syria have led to difficulties in assessing vulnerability. Common criteria, such as unaccompanied minors or women at risk, need to be adapted to the urban context. For example, one third of the 29,000 targeted beneficiaries failed to collect their goods at the distribution points in Syria in 2007 because the UN used traditional criteria for food distribution. UNHCR, concerned that more accurate criteria were not used, asked the World Food Program (WFP) to adopt a more inclusive approach. Now, 155,000 Iraqis—90% of all registered—are included in food distributions, and only the pre-2003 caseload and single men who may be able to better provide for themselves are excluded.

For 7,000 very vulnerable families, UNHCR established a cash distribution system, but recently the no-show rate has reached about 40 percent. UNHCR must make all efforts possible to find these vulnerable people and learn why they were unable to collect the assistance. UNHCR also needs to review both the vulnerability criteria applied and the outreach methods that are used. In a country where access to the internet can sometimes be challenging, it is essential that UNHCR find diverse ways to reach out to Iraqi communities.

Palestinian refugees stranded in Al-Walid, Al-Tanf, and Al-Hol camps in and near Syria continue to be the most vulnerable refugees from Iraq. For those Palestinians who managed to enter Syria, several have been recently deported to Al-Tanf. Refugees suffering from chronic illnesses, including diabetes and cancer, are forbidden to seek medical treatment. The U.S. must take the lead in ensuring that these refugees—many of whom are highly educated professionals, stranded in desolate, guarded camps in the no man’s land without access to cash assistance or the labor market—are provided with immediate voluntary durable solutions, including repatriation, local integration, and resettlement.

Read Key Facts on Urgent Needs of Palestinian Refugees from Iraq.

Coordinating Better: The UN on the Same Page

Coordination remains a major challenge in Syria. Before 2007 most agencies were focused on developing infrastructure instead of responding to emergency humanitarian needs, and this is reflected in the structure of the country team. According to many humanitarian actors in Syria, responding appropriately to the crisis would require an emergency-oriented resident coordinator, yet this is unlikely to happen, as the resident coordinator works for the UN Development Program and therefore has little familiarity with humanitarian programs.

As the lead agency dealing with Iraqis in Syria, UNHCR has an important coordination role. UN agencies have agreed to draft a strategic framework which would serve both as a reference for donor governments and as a coordinating tool for humanitarian organizations. Since the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs does not operate in Syria, it is essential that UNHCR get the process moving and concluded as soon as possible to allow for greater outreach to governments funding relief programs and to improve coordination within the country team.

In Jordan, UNHCR established a Beneficiary Information System (BIS) -- a database that allows UNHCR, its partners, and eventually all agencies assisting Iraqis to enter and access information on any Iraqi who is requesting or receiving assistance. This tool will greatly assist UNHCR Jordan and its partners in avoiding duplication, identifying vulnerable Iraqis, and targeting protection issues. UNHCR Syria should seriously look into establishing a similar mechanism.

Adequate Funding and Support for the Humanitarian Community

UNHCR has issued a regional appeal for $261 million for 2008. Besides the U.S. contribution of $83 million, the appeal remains largely unfunded. UNHCR in both Syria and Jordan expressed concern that they would have to drastically cut their programs should the appeal not be fully funded.

Similarly, WFP issued an appeal for $126 million for Syria and Iraq. As of February 2008, they had only received $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), $5 million in cash from the US Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration and $25 million in-kind donations from USAID. Due to problems with US rice and the Syrian decision to block the cargo, WFP had to spend the CERF funding and an additional $5 million of its own funds to buy rice locally. WFP won’t know until June if it will receive anything from the European Commission. Similarly, the health and education appeal remains largely unfunded.

Concerns about UN operations in Syria need to be contextualized within the challenging operating environment. Given the inability of most refugees to return home, find work, and receive adequate assistance, their needs will continue to increase. Continued and increased financial and political support is essential to ensuring that these needs are met. There are many uncertainties, but the large number of Iraqis and the extent of their growing needs is not one of them.

Policy Recommendations

• UNHCR work with the Syrian Government to identify Iraqis in Syria and to assess their needs.
• UNHCR frequently reassess the vulnerability criteria it is using and improve their outreach to Iraqi communities throughout Syria.
• UNHCR continue to highlight and prioritize the particular plight of Palestinian refugees from Baghdad and work closely with the entire international community to repatriate them, integrate them locally or resettle them to third countries.
• The UN, with UNHCR leading the process, issue a comprehensive strategic framework for its work in Syria and address the concerns of international donors.
• The U.S. work with allied governments to fully fund UNHCR and all other UN appeals for the region.
• The U.S. and the international community engage with Syria to help address the growing needs of refugees.