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Syria - 365 Days Of Resilience

Stabilizing and strengthening a country in crisis

March 18^th, 2015

NEVER WERE THIS MANY PEOPLE DISPLACED

As it enters its fifth year, the ongoing crisis in Syria has caused massive damage to every aspect of life. 12.2 million Syrians have been affected by the incessant violence and hostilities and suffered tremendous losses. Families have been forced to flee, leaving their home-towns with no significant assets or belongings. 10.8 million people have been displaced, including 7.6 million internally, resulting in the largest population displacement in history.

Destroyed buildings in Joret Al-Shyah, Homs

REBUILDING THE COUNTRY THROUGH ITS PEOPLE

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working to help the Syrian people, to stabilize their livelihoods and support them as they cope with the shock of the crisis.

UNDP, in cooperation with local partners, has provided 14,400 emergency employment opportunities for the restoration of basic services in Aleppo, Dar’a, Deir-Ez-Zor, Hama, Homs, Idleb and Tartous. These opportunities were created in the areas of solid waste removal, rehabilitation of infrastructure, mechanical repair for municipal trucks and equipment and agricultural and forestry preservation activities.

In 2014, UNDP succeeded in reaching a total of 2,324,733 affected people including direct and indirect beneficiaries, benefiting from UNDP’s Livelihoods Restoration and Resilience Building programme in all 14 governorates in Syria.

Ghalia al Khodeir sifts pumpkin seeds as part of an employment project supported by UNDP

A job, a livelihood, a life

Hard to reach areas in Aleppo now have more than 1,300,000 people in need, living in extremely difficult conditions. Basic goods and medicine are lacking, health care is deteriorating, and violence has not yet abated.

Mohammad, like so many, never thought his life would be uprooted by hostilities. But when his job was lost, Mohammad, his wife and six children were forced to move to a shelter. Two years without work, Mohammad’s family lived in extreme poverty with no beds or blankets to protect them from the cold winter. “My 3 year old daughter has cancer, and she needs radiotherapy in Damascus which I can’t afford,” he says.

Then a year ago, he joined the solid waste project, implemented by UNDP in Aleppo. His wages have significantly improved his living conditions and now provide the basic needs for his family - and life-saving medical treatment. “It was impossible for us to find a proper job in this dire situation, thanks to the solid waste project I’m capable now of traveling to the medical center in Damascus so my little daughter can finalize her radiotherapy sessions. This will save her life.”

The solid waste project in Aleppo has provided 2,945 one-month job opportunities and removed 36,207 tons of waste, allowing 16 neighborhoods to enjoy a better and healthier environment. “We hope that this project will continue; we appreciate the benefits we have gained so far. Our surroundings have also become cleaner.”

UNDP supports local businesses and production to help restore disrupted livelihoods. As such, 50,370 indirect beneficiaries enjoyed better access to basic commodities and services as a result of reviving and rehabilitating almost 1,200 local micro and small businesses.

In Homs, one of the heaviest hit cities, we support persons with special needs in employment schemes

providing for your family

Maher became homeless after his house, where he used to live with his wife and six of his family members, burned down in a mortar bombardment. Maher and his wife are both deaf and mute since childhood. Their disability never prevented them from living happily in the past since income from his construction worker job paid for his family’s needs. Finding a new source of livelihoods became a huge challenge after displacement.

“We left our home without taking anything with us. Everything is expensive; I couldn’t buy milk for my six month old son or provide heating fuel to warm my family during the cold winter. It was impossible for me to find a job. I was suffocating!” he says, using sign language.

Then, Maher got involved in a poultry project that UNDP started in partnership with a local NGO. The project aims to revive the traditional poultry sector of the As-Salamyia district, in order to provide job opportunities to affected IDPs and host communities. Vulnerable groups, such as women-headed households and people with disabilities, are specific targets for the initiative. Maher, among many others, was included. Working eight hours a day, he was able to again supply for his family.

“I was praying to God and asking for a decent job. Thanks to this opportunity, I don’t have to borrow money anymore,” he signs, with a smile on his face.

Promoting gender equality

Women in Syria face particular obstacles in terms of security, accessing food and finding jobs. For this reason, all of UNDP’s livelihoods and resilience work focus especially on gender. A total of 195,538 women benefited from the provision of emergency employment opportunities in sewing, food preservation and solid waste removal, in addition to vocational training and assets and tools replacement in Aleppo, Al-Hassakeh, Ar-Raqqa, Dar’a, Deir-Ez-Zor, Hama, Homs, Idleb, Damascus and Tartous Governorates.