Protection and Self-Reliance
Enabling dignity in urban displacement
More needs to be done to assist Syrian refugees in accessing civil documentation and thereby public services in host countries. In addition to information and counseling, the most vulnerable require case management and financial support.
The eligibility criteria and application periods for temporary protection IDs in Turkey and birth registration in Lebanon have changed over time. Without these documents, refugees have difficulty accessing vital services, such as public education and health care. Other sought-after documents include: marriage certificates, residency permits, degree equivalency, and work permits.
In parts of Syria, children seek protection from aerial bombardment and shelling within underground recreational centers. Many require psychosocial support to process all that they have witnessed in this war. Humanitarian support for single mothers and victims of sexual and gender-based violence requires a protection lens to promote safety and opportunities for self-reliance. Refugee women often lack language and vocational training opportunities, child care, and decent work, rendering them particularly vulnerable to unemployment, exploitation in the work place, and housing eviction.
RPI and its local implementing partners work to meet these needs by:
- Providing Syrian refugees in Turkey with guidance on documentation procedures and referrals to service providers to legitimize and support their stay
- Providing individual case management to the most vulnerable refugees: interpretation/translation, accompaniment to service providers, and support with completing application forms
- Counseling and financially aiding Syrian refugees in Lebanon to complete birth registration
- Providing pediatric psychosocial support and referrals to psychologists in besieged areas of Syria
- Empowering female-headed refugee households and victims of sexual and gender-based violence by integrating the provision of shelter, relief, protection, and self-reliance support
- Encouraging collaboration among our local partners and other nonprofit, private sector, and municipal stakeholders
- Considering providing, once war has ended, information and counseling on housing, land, and property restitution and reparation
Counseling and Case Management
6,715 Syrians in Turkey received consultations on how to access vital documentation and medical, legal, relief, and educational services. 220 Syrian refugees in Lebanon were supported with birth registration.
Supporting Mental Health
In Syria, our partner provided 190 children and trainers with psychosocial programming.
Strengthening Livelihoods that Give Back
In Syria, 678 persons benefited from goods or services provided by 59 women trained in first aid, nursing, psychosocial support, sewing, and use of dried olive pulp as heating fuel. 136 refugee teachers in Lebanon received training, 83 of which also received classroom materials. 647 civilians in Syria received winter clothing.
Syrian refugees benefiting from birth registration support by RPI’s partner URDA in Lebanon
RPI’s partner Basmeh and Zeitooneh interviewing a Syrian refugee in Turkey
RPI’s partner Basmeh and Zeitooneh conducting legal information sessions for Syrian refugees
