In Focus
• New Innovative ShelterSolutionLaunched
• Airlift in Preparation ofHarshWinter
• Life Skills Training - Im-provingLives
unHcR-sYRIA unHcR-sYRIA unHcR-sYRIAunHcR sYRIAunHcRInsYRIA
Followus:
sYRIAIssue 13 of 2015
unHcR successfully Tests New Innovative shelter Solution HIgHlIgHTs
‘Fresh Displacement, Changing Dynamics-
UNHCR Responds’
UNHCR Syria 2015 Mid-Year Report
With thedisplacementof7.6millionpeople inSyria, the shelterneeds aremassive with classical shelter interventions no longerabletomeetalltheshelterneedsofthedisplacedpopulation.Asaresultofthis,UNHCRhashadto‘thinkoutsidethebox’conceptual-izing,designingandlaunchingadditionaltypesofshelterassistance,stressingcommunityempowermentandutilizingitscapacity.
Anumberofpilotshelterprojectshavebeenlaunchedrecentlyforassistancethroughcashforworkprogrammesandsupportedaccesstoessentialbuildingmaterials.Oneofthemostinnova-tiveexamplesistheearth-baghouseconstructionsystemwhichisasimpletoolwhichutilizesCashforWorkintheconstructionofanemergencyshelter.
http://www.refworld.org/docid/55e7f68a4.html
UNHCRhasrecentlyconcludedafifteendayappraisalinQamish-liofthisearth-baghouseconstructionsystemandfoundthattheconstructionoftheearth-baghouseisanefficientwaytosolverequirements encountered when people have to be providedwithabasichomewithinashortperiodoftime.Furthermore,theconstructiondoesnotneedaprofoundknowledgesothatitcanbebuiltbythebeneficiariesthemselves.Comparedtotentstheearth-bagbuilthousehasmanyadvantageswithoutbeingapermanentconstructionandcaneasilybedismantledandthematerialcanbereused.Inadditionthissystemgivesbeneficiar-iestheopportunitytoworkandearnincomeaswellasstimulat-ingsmallbusinessopportunities.
©UNHCR/2015
UNHCR Syria 20152
The testing of this system has proved very successful with the main findings being:
• Theirconstruction iseasyto learnanduser-friendlymakingthemeasytobuildbyunskilledpeopleorcommunities
• Anearth-bagwallisextremelystrong,owingtoitsthicknessandweight,thusisconsiderablymoreresistanttohighwindsorotherdestructiveforces(earthquake,flood,etc.)
• Theyareveryadaptable,asitiseasytoalterthepositionofwallopeningsduringconstruction,ortodismantleanincor-rectlyplacedwallandsubsequentlyrebuild itwiththeverysame material. Also the house can be easily divided intoroomsusingcurtainsorlightpartitionsandtheextensionofwallscanalsoallowfutureexpansion. Inadditionplumbingandelectricalfittingscaneasilybefixedtotheearth-bagwalls.
• Increasedsafety,as therearenopilesofbricksonsite thatmaybe subject to theft, just thebags,which areeasily se-cured,andapileofearth,whichhasnovalue.Furthermore,theearth-baghouseoffersexcellentfireresistanceandextraprotectionfrombullets,comparedtotents.
• Theirsuitabilityforremotelocationsas it isonlymainlythebagsthatneedtobetransportedtothesitesoanearth-bagbuildingcanbeutilizedquicklyatremotesitesinemergencysituations.
Because of it successful testing of this pilot project UNHCR is now planning to expand the earth-bag house shelter solution to other areas in cooperation with its implementing partners.
©UNHCR/2015
©UNHCR/2015©UNHCR/2015
UNHCR Syria 20153
unHcR Airlifts Winter Clothing in Preparation for Harsh WinterThewinterconditionsinSyriaareextremelyharshcausinggreathardshipandsufferingtomanySyrians,especiallyremoteandhard-toreachareas.ForexampleJanuary2015temperaturesfellaslowaslowasminus13degreescentigradeinmanyareasinthecountry.Inaddition,thesnowstormSalamwhichhitSyriaon07January2015causedchaosandfurtherhardshipforSyriansthroughoutthecountrywithroads impassable, intermittentcommunications,electricityandfuelshortagesresultinginmanypeoplebeingunabletoheattheirhomesorthemselves.UNHCRbeganplanningforthecoldweatherthroughoutSyriainmid-2014andasaresult,closeto1.5millionindividualswereprotectedbyUNHCR'swinter-izedpackageforwhichdistributionstartedinNovember2014.
TheHassakehgovernorateisaremoteloca-tioninSyria,inaccessiblebyroad,whichsuf-fersfromanextremelyharshandcoldwin-ter.Aspartofitspreparationandplanningfortheforthcomingwinter,on16Septem-ber UNHCR airlifted nearly five thousandwinter clothing kits, four rubhalls aswellas 2,600 winter sweaters from DamascustoQamishly.TheitemsweredispatchedtoboththeUNHCRwarehouseinQamishlyaswellastoNewrozrefugeecamp.
This isanotherofaseriesofairliftswhichstartedin2013throughwhichUNHCRsuc-ceeded in providing CRIs and life-savingmedicalequipmentandsuppliestovulner-ablepeopleaswellasdispatchingvaccinesagainstpolioforhundredsofthousandsofchildren.
©UNHCR/B.Diab
©UNHCR/B.Diab
UNHCR Syria 20154
DuringSeptember,UNHCRwithitsimplementingpartner,theInternationalMedical Corps (IMC) started a number of lifeskills training courses in Damascus. These courses includedhairdressing,makeupandbeautycare,handicrafts,computermaintenance, mobile maintenance and secretarial studiesandbenefited150IDPsfromninedifferentsheltersaswellaspeoplefromthehostcommunity.
OneoftheattendeesofthesecoursesintailoringwasReemYousef,a29yearoldwomandisplacedfromAlYarmoukcampin Damascus to a collective shelter in Mashroaa Dummar.Reemwasdelightedtoattendthecourseasittookintocon-siderationthedifficultsituationofnotonlyherbutoftheIDPattendees.Reemforexamplewasallowedtobringhersevenyearoldchildwithhertothetraining.
InordertoassistherafterthetrainingwasfinishedReemwasprovidedwithatailoringkitforclothingdesignandknitting.Shehasnowstartedtailoringclothesnotonlyforherchildrenandherselfbutalsoforthedisplacedpeopleresidingintheshelterandisnowestablishingherownsmallbusiness.
Thelossoflivelihoodsforinternallydisplacedpeople(IDPs)negativelyaffectsthepsychologicalwell-beingofpeopleandoftenleadstoprotectionconcerns.Generatingincomeduringdisplacementnotonlyimprovespeople’squalityoflifebutalsohelpsavoidprotracteddependencyandprotectspeoplefromabuse.UNHCRthereforeprovideslifeskillstrainingcoursestorespondtoprevailingprotectionriskssuchasdroppingoutofschool,childlaboraswellassexualandgenderbasedviolence.Thesetrainingsalsoprovidewomenheadinghouseholdswithasafespacetolearnaprofessionandiniti-atetheirownbusiness.
Life Skills Training - Improving lives
©UNHCR/A.Nasser
©UNHCR/A.NasserReemattendingthecoursewithherchild
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UNHCR Syria 20155
Thanks to Our Donors
Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:
TheReportingUnitatUNHCRSyriaDamienMcSweeney,Reportingofficer
Thesearethe2014and2015donorsfortheSyriasituation
